House Of Cards
by Sara Nero
Summary: Two months after the Blood Spirals fall, a new enemy arises and the Huntik team is forced to face great hardships in order to ensure the world's safety. Zhante/Lophie/DenXOC
1. Change

House of Cards

 _ **Disclaimer: I don't know Huntik:Secrets and Seeker nor the Characters. However, I do own the plot and my OC's.**_

 ** _Summary:_ ** The Huntik team is forced to face great hardships after they successfully defeated the betrayer. When a new enemy appears with powers far stronger than the betrayers,however, the Huntik Team is forced to face great obstacles in order to ensure the worlds safety.

 _ **A/N:**_ Hey guys! Some of you may remember me as I have been in the Huntik fandom before already. I decided to start writing again and sincerely hope that you all are going to enjoy the first chapter! Please tell me if you liked it by leaving a review! Enjoy:)

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Chapter1: _Change_

To say that Zhalia was growing impatient would be an understatement.

The bluenette tapped her feet impatiently on the ground and checked her wrist-watch for what felt like the hundredth time in the past ten minutes, annoyance clearly visible in her hazel eyes.

Lok and Sophie were supposed to meet up with her half an hour ago already, but there still was no sign of them.

Zhalia had already toyed with the idea of simply walking into the building located mere inches away from her and dragging them out by herself, but she didn't want to attract more attention than was necessary.

It was bad enough that most people have already exited the building and thrown her curious glances. She was a spy for goodness sake, she wasn't supposed to attract any attention at all nor did she like doing so.

Then again, it was also possible that something happened. Zhalia didn't entirely dismiss the thought that some of the left-over Spirals could have attacked them, but they would have already found a way to inform them or at least send Cherit to ask for back-up.

"Zhalia!" Came a sudden shout, ripping her out of her musings. Zhalia immediately recognized the voice and upon hearing the familiar sound of footsteps approaching from behind, she couldn't suppress the sigh that had left her lips.

She looked to her right and saw Dan approaching her with rather hurried steps, a small smile on his lips.

It took another moment until he finally reached her, his gaze now fixed onto the school-building in front of them as well.

"Still in there, huh?" He bluntly guessed, earning a nod from Zhalia in return.

"Why did you come?" Zhalia questioned as she crossed her arms, her eyes still steadily fixed onto the school's entrance.

Dan tucked his hands into the pockets of his jacket before he spoke up. "Dante send me to check on you since you guys were taking so long."He shrugged, eyeing her out of the corner of his eyes.

Zhalia couldn't help but rise her brow at the words she was hearing from the brunette seeker next to her. She knew that Dante was only worried about his teams well-being and kind of predicted that he would do something like this, but she couldn't help but feel slightly frustrated.

He should know best that she was able to deal with difficult situations just fine and that there was no need to send back-up unless things were looking really bad. And if it was the case, she would have informed him already as well. Still, no matter how many times she would tell him that she would be fine on her own, he didn't seem to listen.

Dante had always liked to play by his own rules in order to make sure that everything was as it should be.

It's been around two months since the fight against the Betrayer and the foundations victory, and things didn't change as much as one would think they did.

Many of the blood spirals have either died in the battle or have escaped before the Foundation was able to capture them. Fortunately, the foundation acted quick and managed to find some of them shortly after and interrogated them to gain more information about the Spiral.

The betrayer may be gone, but that didn't mean that it would keep the former members of the Blood Spiral from causing any more trouble.

In fact, there were still reports from various seekers all around the world that said that there was an incident involving former Spiral members.

Metz, Guggenheim and the rest of the council that now included none other than Dante Vale himself were busy trying to think of a solution, which sounded much more easier than it was.

Thanks to the damage the Organization followed by the Blood Spiral caused, many seekers have gotten injured and many valuable documents have either disappeared or gotten destroyed.

Years work thrown to waste, just like that.

Despite of being a member of the Council now, Dante remained the leader of the Team that now consisted of Sophie, Lok, Zhalia, Dan, Cherit and himself. Harrison had also joined the foundation and thanks to Zhalia putting in a good word for him, he managed to be in a team himself. It was actually a team that consisted of him, Scarlett and another seeker that she had yet to meet but judging by the way Harrison only keeps on gushing about how great his team was, she guessed that he was finally happy.

Talking about happy, Lok and Sophie were now what Zhalia would call officially a couple. Whenever they were having some time off, they would spend it together and occasionally ask Dan or her to tag along.

Dante was mostly being busy with doing some work for the Council or traveling to other countries, also on order from the council.

They didn't receive any missions yet and thus, they all weren't actually able to spend some time together.

It didn't go past Zhalia that they were all growing more and more distant from each other with each day passing and even though she knew that Lok tried his best to prevent it, there was no denying.

Zhalia tried to act as indifferent about it as she could. They were only a team after all and she already predicted that they would grow more distant, but she couldn't shake off the slightly bitter feeling that it left.

Whilst being on her own for the past two months, Zhalia spent her time by getting herself her own apartment that she was currently sharing with Dan and training most of the time to stay in shape. She occasionally visited the Foundation Headquarters to help out a bit, but still kept herself distant.

She had also talked to Metz who seemed to have taken a liking to the bluenette as well. It took some time in the beginning but after everything that had happened and that Zhalia had done for the foundation, he grew to accept and respect her.

He even went as far as inviting her to one of the council meetings since the information she would be able to provide by having been part of the Spiral for a period of time would turn out to be very important. Yet, Zhalia kindly refused and did the mission-report . She was not looking forward to meeting the other council members another time. To others, it may seem as if they all have grown to accept her as well but Zhalia knew best that they were still doubting her loyalty.

She hadn't seen Sophie and Lok for almost a month now and the last time she had seen Dante was the day after their victory when the team tiredly went over to crash at his house, too tired to even properly celebrate it.

They all fell asleep and the next day when they woke up, Dante was off to the HQ already and Sophie and Lok went back to the Casterwill mansion.

Zhalia and Dan were staying at his mansion for around three days until Zhalia had found an apartment that was big enough for herself and Dan. During those three days, she hadn't seen Dante once. He always returned when they were asleep and left before they woke up.

She guessed that he didn't even notice them moving out and even if he did, he didn't try to contact them either.

"He is probably pretty busy. You can't blame him because the Foundation is one huge pile of mess right now." Lok had told them when Den had complained about Dante being absent all the time.

Zhalia had usually remained silent whenever the topic about Dante was brought up and didn't fail to notice the worried looks the others were giving her from time to time when they thought that she wasn't looking.

It was up to him whether he wanted to contact them or not, and there was nothing that any of them would be able to change about it. And frankly put, Zhalia couldn't care less.

It was yesterday that when Dan returned from the headquarters that he told her about the news. He informed her that Metz and Guggeheim finally managed to get a proper hold of the current situation and that they were now receiving a new mission.

She had to admit that she didn't reckon with it and was mildly surprised upon hearing it, but she was still having mixed-emotions about it.

Dan seemed to be in the same dilemma as she was in, torn between the part of him that wanted to be happy and the part that was still cautious.

There was no guarantee that the bond the team once shared was still as strong as it used to be, but there was only one way to find out.

Not much was known about the mission, the only thing that Metz told Dan was that they were to meet at Dante's after Lok and Sophie were out of school, what was supposed to be almost an hour ago.

"Dante, huh?" Zhalia mumbled, his name leaving a bitter taste on her tongue. "So he is doubting my skills as a seeker now?" Zhalia asked with a half hearted huff, what didn't go unnoticed by her companion either.

Dan gave a small snort upon hearing her words. "As if Dante would ever doubt your skills." He said, now fully looking at her.

A small bittersweet smile tugged at the corner of her lips. "Time changes people, Dan." Was all Zhalia said before she took another look at her watch.

45 minutes.

"Alright, I am done waiting." She mumbled, her eyes narrowing. She saw Dan giving her a nod out of the corner of her eye before the both of them started to walk towards the entrance.

The first thing that Zhalia noticed when they entered the hallways was that they were deserted, not one person present.

Zhalia exchanged a knowing look with Dan, the latter already knowing what the other was thinking as they both continued to walk through the hallway.

They walked up the flight of stairs that lead them into another hallway where seemingly all the classrooms were located at.

Zhalia heard Dan muttering something that sounded like _"Damn stairs."_ and smirked slightly while she made a mental note to herself that she should include walking stairs into their training schedule.

"Well, it looks like there are around over 30 classrooms. Do we really have to check them all?" Dan asked in a hushed tone, careful not to gain any attention in case someone was there.

Zhalia arched a brow at the brunette, amusement clearly visible in her hazel orbs.

"Oh come on Dan, don't tell me that you're tired already because of the stairs." She drawled, receiving a snort in return.

"Of course not." He swiftly denied, crossing his arms in the process.

Zhalia hummed in return and gave him one last glance before she proceeded to walk, Dan following close behind.

The two of them checked every classroom they passed just to find each one of them empty, much to their dismay. It only made Zhalia feel more suspicious about the entire situation they were currently in, and she didn't have the nerves to deal with both the kids and Dante _and_ a possible attack.

Some more minutes passed and the two of them still didn't find them, but as soon as they have reached the end of the corridor, a voice made Zhalia freeze in place.

She laid her hand on Dan's shoulder, silently signalizing him to stop as well. She placed her index finger onto her lips as a sign for him to remain silent before she took another couple of steps forward, her senses on high alert.

She noticed that the door of the classroom was open, but she wouldn't be able to look into it without being seen.

She turned her head to Dan and gave him a small nod, which he returned, before Zhalia started to walk into the entrance of the classroom, the sounds of her heels clacking against the ground echoing through the empty hallway. She stopped in the threshold with Dan next to her, her hazel eyes immediately scanning the classroom.

At what she assumed was the teachers desk was sitting a man who seemed to be in his mid-thirties, wearing a suit and reading a magazine.

His brown hair was slightly messy and his feet were crossed over the desk in a leisured matter while he didn't seem to have noticed their presence yet.

Zhalia's eyes began to roam the back of the classroom and almost instantly did her eyes fall onto the pair that was seated in the back.

Sophie and Lok were sitting in one of the last rows, both surrounded by a series of books and work-sheets. Sophies strawberry-blonde colored hair seemed to be slightly messed up at some parts while her emerald eyes were were steadily fixed onto one of the books, her face holding a small frown. In comparison to Sophie, Lok seemed rather troubled and seemed like he was about to start crying any moment, his feet not standing still beneath the desk.

Zhalia having finally had enough of the wait cleared her throat, her hazel eyes turning to the teacher while her face turned back to it's usual emotionless state.

She watched how the teacher looked up at her from where he was reading his magazine, a small surprised frown on his face upon seeing them.

Two gasps followed right behind, and Zhalia didn't have to look over to know from whom they were coming from.

"Zhalia!" Lok called happily, a bright smile on his face upon seeing his teammate.

Zhalia turned her head to look at them, an eyebrow raised upon seeing the obvious relief that filled both of their eyes and their bright smiles.

"Care to explain?" Zhalia asked as she leaned against the door-frame and crossed her arms across her chest.

Sophie bit her lower lip whereas Lok gave her a small chuckle.

"Well-" Lok started, but got cut off before he was able to even start.

"And who are you?" Came a deeper male voice, the hostility in his voice clearly audible. Zhalia turned her head towards the teacher who had now lowered his magazine and turned to fully look at her. His eyes were narrowed whereas his lips were pursed in a thin line, his gaze anything but friendly.

Zhalia frowned slightly, having expected something like this already. Fortunately, she was more than used to people like this and was rather indifferent about it.

"Family." She firmly replied, firmly keeping his gaze. "And who may you be?" Zhalia returned just as coldly, not the least bit intimidated.

The man furrowed his eyes, obviously doubting her words and lowered his feet from the desk.

"I am the teacher of Mr. Lambert and Miss Casterwill." He informed her tersely, folding his hands on his lap. "And to answer your former question, Mister Lambert and Miss Casterwill are having detention. I don't know if you were aware of it Miss, but they both were being absent from school very often and both at the same time as well, may I add. They have both missed a lot of important lessons that they have to catch up on in order to pass this year."

Zhalia's frown was starting to get more prominent on her face with each second passing, the bluenette trying to stay as calm as possible.

Of course she already knew that Lok and Sophie were missing out on school a lot, but it was because of the Foundation and Metz supposedly took care of excusing them as well.

"I don't recall getting informed about this." Zhalia spoke, an eyebrow slightly arched.

"There was no need to." He replied indifferently.

Zhalia pursed her lips into a thin line and something in her clicked at his attitude. She straightened her back and took a couple of steps into the classroom before she reached the desk, stopping in front of it.

"There is." She started in a tone that could have frozen the desert. "As far as I am concerned, you as a mere teacher have no right to keep your students longer at school without their guardians permission or notifying anyone about it. Also, I am more than certain that you, Sir, know just as well as I do that Sophie and Lok have been absent with a valid excuse. And that's exactly why I am now going to take them home with me without any more delays."

Zhalia turned her head to where Lok and Sophie were seated at, both looking at her with obvious surprise.

"Pack your things, we're leaving." Zhalia informed them before she turned back to the teacher.

He was looking at her with a rather calm expression, but she didn't miss the way his fists were tightly clenched nor the way his eyes were filled with obvious displeasure.

He remained silent and didn't say another word while Lok and Sophie practically jumped from their seats and stuffed their things in their backpacks, smiles on both of their faces.

As soon as they were done they were walking over to Zhalia, only the noticing Dan who was standing behind her the entire time.

"All done!" Lok happily chirped as they reached her.

Zhalia gave him a small nod out of acknowledgment before she shot the teacher one last look, turning around without as much as another word.

Lok gave their teacher a small yet sheepish smile before he followed Zhalia out of the room, Sophie following close behind after having closed the door.

As soon as they left the classroom and entered the hallway, Zhalia suddenly felt herself getting pulled forwards, blonde entering her vision.

Zhalia was too startled to react and remained rooted on the very spot. She heard Dan chuckling and threw him a glare that unfortunately, didn't seem to have an effect on him at all.

"You're my savior Zhaal!" Lok half-yelled while a happy laugh escaped his lips. "I almost died in there!" He exclaimed dramatically before he pulled back, releasing Zhalia from his rather tight grip.

Zhalia merely waved her hand as a matter to brush it off before her eyes fell onto Sophie who also shot her a grateful smile.

"Thanks Zhalia." The blonde told her female teammate, genuinely grateful.

Zhalia gave the teens a small nod in return as they started to walk back through the hallways and exited the building.

It didn't even take a minute until the group fell into a comfortable chatter, talking about anything and everything that came into their mind on their way to Dante's mansion.

Zhalia had to admit that a part of her, as small as it was, had missed it. It was a nice little distraction of whatever would expect them at Dante's.

It took them a total of ten minutes until the mansion was finally in sight and Zhalia had to admit that the familiar sight gave her mixed emotions.

She looked at Dan out of the corner of her eye and caught his eye, him looking just as expressionless as she was.

In comparison to them, the other two seemed to be rather oblivious to the mixed- feelings their teammates were currently having and instead, fastened their pace.

Lok gave an obviously pleased sigh as soon as they passed the gate, his blue eyes shining brightly in the afternoon sun while Sophie seemed to be just as excited.

"Oh man, I still can't believe it!" Lok said with a bright grin plastered on his face.

"Me too." Sophie sided with him. "It feels like ages since we have last been here." She admitted, earning a nod from Lok in return.

The group of four finally reached the mansion and walked up the small flight of steps that were located in front of the entrance before they came to an halt in front of the door.

Look seemingly hesitated to open the door, eyeing the doorknob wearily.

"Should we just walk in or knock?" He whispered and bit his lower lip, throwing the others an uncertain look.

Zhalia's eyebrows shot up in surprise at the blonde's question. Well, he did have a reason for asking since after all, time had passed and they didn't know whether things were as they used to be. Or to word it differently, if Dante was still as he used to be. Lok being considerate and worried about something like this was also rather surprising to Zhalia. Lok usually was the first one to barge right in and call out for Dante to check if he was there just to make himself feel at home. Him being reluctant about opening the door and walking in showed Zhalia that he as well had considered that things made have changed or at least, he had thought about it once.

Sophie heaved a sigh and walked over to stand next to Lok before she raised her hand and knocked on the door.

"Dante, it's us." She spoke, slightly hesitant nonetheless.

Silence engulfed the group for a moment and it seemed like everyone held their breath, none of them daring to move.

It was when they heard a faint 'it's open' coming from the inside that they all breathed a small sigh of relief before Lok opened the door.

They all made their way into the familiar mansion, Dan closing the door behind them before he followed the others into the living-room where they were expecting Dante to be at.

True enough, as soon as the small group entered the living-room they were greeted by the sight of Dante sitting in one of his arm-chairs, the Holotome neatly placed on his lap.

He looked up as soon as he heard the footsteps getting louder and smiled at the sight of his team, shutting the Holotome shut upon seeing them.

"Hey Dante." Lok spoke up first in order to avoid any kind of awkward atmosphere as he waked towards the couch, placing his backpack down before he sat down.

Sophie followed right behind and sat down next to him, giving their mentor a smile that he returned in an instant.

His eyes then fell onto the remaining pair that was still standing at the entrance, seemingly not intending to move away from where they were currently at.

Dan gave Dante a small nod, having already seen him today, that he firmly returned before Dan walked over to take a seat onto the armrest of the sofa.

It was then that amber and hazel clashed.

Neither of them broke their gaze and the first thing that Zhalia noticed was that his amber eyes were still holding the warmth they did before.

It was tempting for Zhalia to believe that he was still the same old Dante Vale, leader of their team and the person she had come to respect highly.

But she knew that it wasn't the case.

To the others, it seemed like he was still the same and that nothing about him had changed but Zhalia knew better and as for the moment, Dante Vale was like an open book to her.

The dark-circles under his eyes were slightly faded, but still visible enough for Zhalia to know that he most likely didn't get any sleep for some time now. Her eyes then fell onto his hands and the first thing that Zhalia noticed were the slightly faded bruises on the back of his hand. She guessed that he must have gotten involved in a fight as well and that just recently because he obviously was too exhausted to completely heal it with Everfight.

What seemed like an eternity was only a second and Zhalia looked back up to meet his gaze, unwavering.

"Zhalia." Dante acknowledged, giving the bluenette a small smile.

Said female gave him a small nod in return, her cold facade still firmly put in place. She still wasn't quite used to the idea of spending most of the time with the team again and also, it was still possible that they would only be together as long as the mission would last before they would all go their own ways again.

It wasn't easy to admit, but it had always been Dante who made sure that the team would remain in touch even if they weren't having a mission and with him being gone most of the time, they all drifted further and further apart from each other.

"So Dante," Sophie started, putting on a big smile as she looked at her mentor. "How have you been?"

Four pairs of eyes turned over to look at Dante, equally curious about what he had been up to the past months.

Dante in return heaved a small sigh, smiling nonetheless as he looked at Sophie. "Busy." He admitted. "The foundation was a big mess and it took some time until everything went back to a rather normal state."

Sophie gave him a small nod out of understanding, she herself having been quite busy with her family during the past two months.

"I'm happy that you managed to get us a mission, nonetheless." Lok spoke up with a smile, but the hint of slight uncertainty was still there.

"Yeah." Dan swiftly agreed, crossing his arms across his chest in a leisured matter."It's been ages since we have last been together like this, with all members present that is." Den spoke calmly, referring to Zhalia's undercover mission.

"It's been quite some time." He softly agreed. Dante wasn't oblivious to Lok's message and couldn't help the small pang of guilt that hit him. He was forced to admit that he had neglected his team because of his new position as a council member, but didn't have much of a say in this matter either. The foundation had been a mess after the battle against the Blood Spiral and needed every kind of support they could get. Dante had spend a lot of sleepless nights working on various kind of documents and helping to put the foundation back on it's feet so that he had no time to even do as much as ask about any of them.

Dante now turned his head to look at Lok. "Have you run into any kind of trouble on your way here?" He asked, tilting his head slightly.

Lok and Sophie exchanged a small sheepish look before Lok scratched the back of his neck, giving a small chuckle.

"Well, that's actually a funny story." Lok started but got cut off by Dan's rather amused snort.

"They got into detention." He told his mentor, a small mischievous smile on his lips.

Lok threw his teammate a small glare, having wanted to word it slightly differently. Dante in return arched an eyebrow at the blonde haired teens, curiosity now clearly visible in his amber eyes.

"Why?" He inquired, the small hint of amusement clearly audible in his voice. Lok in return heaved a surrendering sigh and slumped his shoulders.

"Well me and Sophie have been missing out on school a lot lately, you know, Foundation and Casterwill business. So we missed some lessons and even though we weren't attending these lessons, Metz had us excused." Lok explained, looking over to Sophie who nodded out of agreement.

"So basically, there is this teacher who had always had an eye onto the two of us. Instead of making sure that we knew what was going on by giving us a small explanation or something beforehand like the other teachers did, he kept on picking us whenever he was asking some questions and forced us to write tests even though he knew that we had no idea what was going on." Lok exclaimed while he waving his arms around out of disbelief, much to the amusement of the rest.

"So today after lesson, me and Sophie were about to pack out things and were like overly motivated and stuff but of course our teacher had other plans. He forced us to stay in detention so that we could catch on the stuff we had missed out on and I was actually considering to use Kipperin and simply fly out of the window just to see his face!" Lok told him, making Sophie chuckle at his words.

"As if you would have done that." Sophie teased, earning a disbelieving look from Lok.

"I would!" He insisted, his eyes open wide.

Dante gave a small chuckle and slightly shook his head. It seemed like despite of him having been absent for some time, they didn't change the slightest.

And he was more than pleasantly surprised about it.

"Well, how did you get out of there if you didn't use Kipperin?" Dante asked, making Lok pause for a moment.

The blonde gave him a grin before he turned to look at Zhalia and suddenly, she was the new center of attention, much to her dismay.

"Zhalia got us out of there." He simply said, shooting the bluenette another one of his bright and toothy grins.

Dante turned to look at Lok, arching an eyebrow. "She did?" He asked, a small smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

Lok bobbed his head in return. "She did, and she even managed to make him shut up. It was epic I'm telling you, you should have seen his expression!" Lok told his mentor, chuckling at the memory.

"I have to say that it was really amusing to watch. How did you come up with all of this in the first place?" Sophie inquired, looking at the older female in slight wonder.

Zhalia was about to open her mouth and speak up, but Dan beat it to her.

"It's Zhalia we're talking about." He smirked. "She is a pro, and a pro never reveals his secrets to success, aren't I right?"He asked, receiving an amused look from Zhalia.

Out of everything that she had expected him to say, she didn't expect this. It was quite amusing to watch, that she had to admit, and she couldn't help but feel slightly proud. Dan and her have formed a very strong bond that was similar to the bond that siblings shared. Not many words needed to be exchanged in order to know what the other one was thinking or how the other was feeling and living with Zhalia had taught him a lot of very useful things.

Zhalia gave him one of her trademark smirks and tilted her head slightly to the side, eyeing Dan with a knowing look.

He quoted the exact same sentence that she had told him once and it seemed like he didn't forget about it either, and that only was showing her that he was taking her every word to heart.

"Indeed." Zhalia said, giving him a small wink before she turned to look at Dante, her smirk having disappeared already.

"What's the mission about?" She asked, coming straight to the point. She never liked beating around the bush and now that they finally received a mission after what seemed like an eternity, she wanted to know if it was worth the wait.

Dante turned to look at her, locking her eyes with his own in an instant, neither of them looking away.

There was something in his eyes that Zhalia couldn't quite identify, a mixture of what seemed to be slight confusion but also something she was all too familiar with.

Guilt.

Dante then broke their gaze and opened the Holotome without another word, his eyes now fixed onto the device on his lap. As soon as he lifted the lid of the Holotome, a small mission card appeared.

"The mission is about retrieving the amulet of El Tunchi." Dante told them in his usual professional tone.

Sophie narrowed her eyes, a look of recognition crossing her face. "I think that I have read about this myth once." The Casterwill heiress admitted, trying to remember what it was about.

"Legends say that he is a man who once wandered the rainforest, got lost and died in there. Thus, he now whistles a certain tune, always the same short melody to lure people into their death. It also says that if you answer his whistle, he will kill you in the most hideous and cruel way possible. " Dante explained, and Lok grimaced at his words.

"Creepy." Lok muttered under his breath, Dan siding with him by nodding in agreement.

"There have been various reports stating a sudden disappearance of tourists that included a seeker. Its our job to find it's amulet that is rumored to be located in the rainforest of Peru." Dante informed the Team, looking up from his Holotome.

The others gave him a firm nod, signalizing him that they understood before he went on with his explanation.

"We are going to leave at sunrise." Dante said as he took the Mission-card and neatly placed it into his pocket, closing the Holotome right after.

"Any questions?" He asked, looking around just to watch the others shake their head no.

"Well then Team, we have a mission."


	2. Temporary Bliss

**A/N:** Heyy guys! I wanted to thank you all for reading/reviewing/following/ favoring! It means a lot to me and I am really glad that you all have enjoyed it!

This chapter may seem slightly boring at first, but I promise that it's worth the read. You shouldn't skip anything or else you might miss some things *cough* Zhante *cough*

I hope that you ae going to enjoy this chapter and please, leave me a review and tell me if you liked this one as well!

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 **Chapter 2:** Temporary Bliss

After Dante had told them when they would leave, they all left to pack their things and get some rest before the mission.

Zhalia and Den were currently on their way home, having parted ways with Lok and Sophie not too long ago.

They were walking in a comfortable silence, both deep in thoughts but with their senses on high alert nonetheless.

"Man, I still can't believe that we have to leave at sunrise." Den mumbled frustrated, ripping Zhalia out of her musings.

The bluenette looked to her right, watching how Den was kicking a stone with his foot. "So now you're complaining about going on a mission?" She asked, her eyes turning back onto the path they were walking on.

"I was complaining about the _time_ and not about the mission itself." Den returned, shaking his head with a small smile.

Silence once more engulfed the two of them, but it didn't take too long until Den spoke up again.

"You know, I am pretty glad that he is still the same."

Zhalia inwardly sighed, having already expected him to bring up the topic sooner or later. She instantly knew who he was referring to and gave him a small hum in return.

"You don't know that, Den." Zhalia said, a slightly warning hint in her voice.

"I know." He sighed. "But as for now, it doesn't seem like he changed and that's a good sign, isn't it?" Den asked, trying to somewhat lighten up her mood.

Upon noticing that Dante was in his usual behavior, Lok and Sophie obviously relaxed and acted as if nothing had happened, easily falling back into their old comfortable chatter with their mentor, Den occasionally joining.

Unfortunately, it wasn't that easy for the rest and he knew that out of the entire team, Zhalia was having the hardest time.

The past few months have been a plain roller coaster ride for all of them, started by Zhalia leaving to infiltrate the Blood Spiral. During the time Zhalia was absent, Den noticed that something had changed.

The first day after she had left has been the worst and the tension that engulfed the team was unbearable. Lok and Sophie seemed quite troubled ever since she had left, barely saying anything throughout the entire day whereas Dante was giving off an aura that was anything but pleasant. He didn't speak up unless it was necessary and he seemed to be deep in thoughts most of the time, spacing out on a regular basis. Den was quite surprised upon seeing the teams reaction upon Zhalia's departure. Back then, Den and her barely talked and since she was a pro he assumed that it was something that she was specialized at. Upon asking Lok about it, the blonde seemed slightly hesitant before he explained what exactly happened.

Den listened patiently and was stunned up to the point where he was genuinely speechless at the end of Lok's explanation, genuinely not knowing what to say.

He always knew that there was something about Zhalia that seemed to be different, but he had never paid a second thought to it.

Now that Lok had told him everything from the very start when he mistakenly discovered the amulet that his father had left him up until the point when he himself joined the team, Den was finally able to understand the bluenette slightly better.

But what sincerely surprised Den was that they weren't worried about her betraying them once again or working as a double-agent once again, but instead or her well being.

He didn't even want to imagine what kind of mental pressure Zhalia had been set under and what she must have been through. She had been an orphan just like him before the organization took her in and gave her a brainwash, making her believe that the Foundation was the true Foe.

But Zhalia was not stupid nor easily gullible and upon noticing that she was a mere tool to the organization, she started to doubt them what eventually lead to her so called betrayal and her joining the Foundation.

He had to admit that it must have taken nerves of steel and a lot of courage to do something like that and that if he was in her place, he most likely wouldn't have been able to do it.

It must have been hard for her to come on terms with her new situation and with almost the entire Foundation doubting her loyalty with a few exceptions, it probably wasn't that easy either.

Lok, Sophie and Dante were the only support she was having and with the people that were giving her halt and some kind of security suddenly leaving, her current behavior towards them was more than understandable.

Even though she didn't show and tried to brush it off as best as possible, he knew that Zhalia was slightly hurt nonetheless.

She has been left alone by the only people she had left, that were closest to what she would consider friends and even if it was unintentionally, she had a right to feel this way.

Den remembered Zhalia pulling all-nighters in order to find an apartment so that she would be able to leave as soon as possible. He as well had occasionally taken a peek at some of the places that were on for sale, but he didn't think too much of it.

He as well wanted to leave Dante's mansion rather soon since he never liked living off by others and planned on staying at one of the Foundations HQ's like most seekers that were too busy with missions and didn't bother wasting their money on buying a house that they wouldn't even use in the first place did.

Sophie had offered Den to live with her and Lok in one of the numerous guest-rooms that her mansion provided, but Den kindly refused. He concluded that he would most likely feel like the third wheel and that was something he could live without.

It was three days later that Zhalia informed him about moving out, having found an apartment nearby that suited her taste.

She then asked Den what he was going to do next and when he told her that he didn't actually know himself, he saw the small flicker of hesitance in her hazel eyes.

Zhalia knew that Den had no real opportunity to improve his skills and that if he were to leave to the Foundation HQ it would just be a waste of time.

He needed someone to train him, to educate him about the basics about being a seeker and with the rest of the team being busy with either Casterwill or Foundation business, there was no one left that could teach him.

Except for her.

Zhalia was close to Harrison and had taken a somewhat liking to the boy, so she guessed that if she helped Harrison she may as well help Den out.

At first when Zhalia had told him that she would train him and he could stay with her in the meantime, Den was about to refuse. But Zhalia was already prepared and once she had her mind set on something, she was determined to get it.

In the end, Den finally yielded and agreed before Zhalia would have been able to change her mind, knowing that it was for the better and a great opportunity for him to improve his skills as a seeker.

At first, it was rather uneventful and not much happened while they were living together but once they started their training and some time had passed, the two of them have formed a bond similar to the one that siblings shared.

Whenever Zhalia was having a bad day, Den instantly noticed the small shift in her personality and even though Zhalia was not much of a talker, no words were needed for Den to know what was going on in her head, the bond working the same way around.

Den strongly reminded Zhalia of her old self and she somewhat related to him as well. He was an orphan and had lived through the hard times, learning to value and appreciate even the smallest things that life had to offer.

He was rather stubborn as well and once he had something set as his goal, he was determined to reach it.

Den guessed that their similar personality was what made it easy for the two of them to get along.

Now he only hoped that this mission would help to heal the bruised bond between the team.

-X-

"I think I'm gonna throw up."

Zhalia rolled her eyes at Lok's word whereas Den and Sophie pulled a grimace, the young Casterwill heiress elbowing him in the ribs.

Lok yelped slightly and held his now sore side before he threw her a hurt look, having been taken by surprise. "What the hell was that for?" The blonde asked with a small pout, rubbing his ribs soothingly.

Sophie threw him a pointed look and put her hands on her hips. "Have some manners Lok." She scolded lightly, obviously displeased by her boyfriends blunt statement.

"I was just being honest." He mumbled in defense, pointedly avoiding the Casterwills glare.

"Yeah." Den snorted. "Honestly disgusting."

Lok narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms above his chest before he leaned back in his seat, looking silently down at his feet.

"It's alright my boy." Came the raspy voice of Cherit who had previously joined them, much to the surprise and delight of the others, especially Lok.

The little titan placed himself on Loks shoulder and made himself comfortable before he threw the blonde seeker a small reassuring smile.

Lok sighed. "Thanks Cherit." He muttered, patting the titan's little head .

Zhalia sighed at the scene in front of her.

The private jet the Foundation had provided them just took off and it would take a couple of hours until they were going to reach their destination. Sophie and Lok were seated next to each other with Den and Zhalia opposite of them and Dante was busy being in the cockpit, keeping an open eye in case something were to interfere.

As soon as Zhalia and Den had arrived, Dante and Cherit were already there waiting for them. They were pleasantly surprised to see the little titan again since he had left after the battle to roam the globe on his own, trying to get back some of his memories.

Cherit immediately filled Zhalia and Den in to what he had been up to for the past months, telling them about his various adventures.

Lok and Sophie joined them not much later and upon seeing Cherit, Zhalia could have sworn that he had seen tears building up in Lok's blue eyes.

The little titan and Lok were sharing a strong bond and a deep friendship that seemed slightly weird, but was strong nonetheless.

"I'm gonna look what Dante's up to." Sophie suddenly said, rising from her seat before she made her way into the cockpit to where Dante was currently at.

Lok looked at Sophie's back and heaved a sigh, shoulders visibly slumping as she closed the door behind herself.

Den gave Lok a sympathetic look and sat down on where Sophie was previously sitting, giving Lok a small pat on the shoulder.

"It's alright buddy." He said, earning a sigh from the blonde in return.

"It's not!" Lok exclaimed frustrated, leaning his elbows on his thighs and putting his face into the palm of his hands. "No matter what I do, it's never right! I try to help her in school whenever she doesn't understand something, she takes it as an insult. I try to compliment her, she takes it the offensive way and says something about me thinking that she looks ugly the other days. I am simply being myself, she complains!" The Irish seeker blurted out, obviously overwhelmed by the entire situation.

"I don't know what to do anymore." he uttered brokenly, and Zhalia looked at the blonde boy with pity-filled eyes.

To most, it was obvious that Sophie treated Lok like a obeying little puppy that trails after her wherever she goes, but she never knew that Lok was aware of that as well, not to mention that he was obviously bothered by it despite of never saying anything before.

Den seemed to be equally surprised at the blonde's sudden outburst and frowned upon hearing how his companion was feeling.

"Lok, you like Sophie don't you?" Den firmly asked, looking at Lok who reluctantly nodded his head as a response.

"You shouldn't do anything then." The brown-haired teen pursed his lips. "Just stop being the puppy that is constantly getting kicked around. You don't need to do that in order to show that you like her, just do what you think is right."

Lok looked up at Den, his blue eyes suddenly seeming more exhausted than they did before. It was sad and it hurt to admit, but after the fight with the betrayal things between Lok and Sophie had changed as well.

As the heiress of the Casterwill family, Sophie had to attend many Casterwill meetings and occasionally had to join a few Foundation ones as well. There were a few times when Lok tagged along since he was the Champion of Casterwill after all, but his presence wasn't that necessary either he eventually stopped.

It wasn't like Sophie was gone most of the time because in fact, the meetings were mostly short one's and only once a week, if Lok recalled correctly. It was just that it didn't feel like their relationship was the same as it was before the teams hiatus. They were going out on dates a couple of times as well but frankly put, he doubted that it would have been any different to her if she would have gone with Zhalia instead of her. She just didn't seem to put any effort into their relationship, and the realization was hurting Lok greatly.

He had tried to approach Sophie and talk to her about this specific matter but before he was even able to start properly, she didn't seem to be listening at all.

He just wanted it to be like the old times when they were simply enjoying each others company and it all seemed more special, not like it was a one-sided love.

"Maybe I should change some things. I mean, I really am childish at times." Lok muttered under his breath, and that was when something in Zhalia snapped.

"Don't even think about it Lok." Zhalia said in a low voice, her face now holding a prominent frown. "You shouldn't change just because you feel like someone likes you less because of the way you act. Tell her how you feel and don't let the fear of losing her as a girlfriend stop you from doing so. You want a relationship based on love and not friendship only right?" She inquired, and Lok gave her a small nod. "Then tell her exactly that. You managed to fight the professor, the betrayer and survived what is still quite surprising may I add, and now you are scared because of what she may think about you after telling her how you feel?" She asked incredulously, shaking her head afterwards.

"This relationship can't even be considered a relationship if that's how you feel. Talk to her, that's the only way to know how she feels about all of that. Else, it'll only be a waste of time Lok."

Lok blinked a couple of times while he was looking at Zhalia, not having expected her words the slightest.

He didn't know what to say and whenever he finally managed to open his mouth, no tone came out.

Den was slightly surprised as well but in comparison to Lok, he managed to cover his surprise with a nod.

"Zhalia is right Lok." Den said, instantly siding with her. "You should talk to her."

"Talk to who?"

Lok's head snapped up at a speed that could have easily broken it, his eyes falling onto Sophie's form that was standing in the doorway, looking at the trio in small confusion.

Panic filled his blue eyes and he immediately straightened in his seat.

"Talking to, uh," Lok stuttered, his mind suddenly blank. His heart started to painfully hammer against his rib cage, his mind screaming at him to come up with a safe.

"Scarlett!" He suddenly called before he was aware of doing so himself, a small nervous smile on his face. "Yeah, uh, I should really talk to Scarlett. We didn't talk to each other for a really long time now." Lok finished off nervously, sounding as if he was quite unsure about that himself and Zhalia saw Den face-palming himself out of the corner of her eyes.

It was understandable though. Out of all people the first person that entered his mind was _Scarlett?_

She suddenly felt the urge to go over to Lok and knock some sense into this boy.

Sophie's emerald eyes narrowed and suddenly, it felt as if the temperature dropped a couple of degrees. Lok fought the shiver that went down his spine and gulped inaudibly, suddenly regretting opening his mouth in the first place.

"Oh." Sophie said, her expression now emotionless but the fire in her eyes was still more than obvious.

Sophie took some steps forwards and only stopped when she reached Zhalia, her eyes suddenly turning to look at the bluenette instead of Lok.

"Dante wanted to talk to you." She told her, taking Zhalia by slight surprise even though her expression remained unfazed.

She didn't even have to turn her head to know that Lok and Den were both shooting her curious looks, her instincts telling her that they were probably more curios than herself.

Sophie still looked as indifferent about it as she did before, but there was a small spark of something that disappeared just as fast as it came, leaving Zhalia wondering what exactly was going in The young Casterwills head.

Zhalia arched her brow but gave her a small nod nonetheless, rising from her seat ever so reluctantly.

She didn't know why Dante suddenly wanted to talk to her, considering that he didn't bother to do so the past two months as well, so she guessed that it was most likely mission-related.

She walked past Sophie and made her way towards the cockpit and exhaled deeply as she reached the door, reaching for the handle of the door.

As her hand was about to touch the handle Zhalia hesitated for the smallest of seconds, actually consider to just walk back to her seat and take a nap.

Zhalia Moon _never_ backed down no matter the circumstances or danger that was up ahead and expected her, so why was it that she was feeling hesitant all of sudden?

Without another thought, Zhalia pushed open the door and entered the cockpit without another word, closing the door behind herself.

Dante was sitting in one out of the two seats in front of the monitoring desk with his holotome on his lap, looking at the graphic 3D model of what seemed to be a titan's amulet.

As soon as Dante heard the Door falling shut, he lifted his gaze from his holotome to look at Zhalia who was now leaning against the closed door with her back.

His amber eyes caught her pair of hazel one's in an instant. He instantly noticed the way her expression held no emotions, her hazel eyes firmly set on his own pair of amber ones without any trace of the warmth that they once used to hold.

A wave of guilt washed over him and his eyes softened the slightest bit upon taking a closer look at her. Something in her had changed, and he knew that it was his fault.

"Sophie told me that you wanted to talk to me." She suddenly spoke, her soft yet firm voice ripping him out of his thoughts.

Dante wanted to mentally kick himself.

"Indeed." He said, giving her a smile that was all too familiar to her. "Take a seat."

Zhalia eyed the empty seat for a moment and considered to decline but upon returning her gaze to Dante who seemed to have already expected her to hesitate she reconsidered.

He knew her better than she would like to admit and since he was most likely expecting her to do exactly what she had originally wanted to, she made her way over to the seat.

Dante fought the urge to smirk upon seeing Zhalia taking the seat next to him, even if reluctantly. It seemed as if some things were still the same and Dante had to say that he was more than relieved about that.

As soon as Zhalia sat down next to him, she turned her head to look at him with her brown eyes filled with a spark of irritation.

She was in no mood for Dante's mind-games, knowing very well that he also knew that for whatever reason there was he seemed to be able to read her like an open book.

And she didn't like it the slightest.

"So, what's it?" Zhalia asked as she threw one leg over her other, trying to act as indifferent as possible.

Dante tilted his head slightly, an eyebrow rising at her behavior towards him. He knew that there was no need to sugar-coat the situation the team was currently in. He knew that his absence had a great impact on the team and that things weren't the same as they used to be due to everything that had happened before and during his absence. Their bond as a team had suffered a lot and Dante was not oblivious to the way Lok and Sophie were hesitant at first before they eventually fell back into their old behavior around him. Den was still acting the same around him, having already told Dante that the team may need some time to get used to it all.

He knew that out of the team Zhalia would be giving him the hardest time. He knew that he hadn't tried to contact any of them and that he had left without as much as a word, but he had no choice.

Still, he knew that he had messed up.

It hurt him to know that Zhalia had fallen back into her old behavior around him and that she was obviously trying to avoid him and he also knew that the bond between the two of them was the one that had suffered the most.

He didn't know how to explain, but he knew that he had disappointed Zhalia greatly by not telling her or the team anything, acting as if they weren't existing.

And for the first time in his life did Dante Vale want to turn back in time.

"Well," Dante started, trying to get rid off the unpleasant thoughts. "I need a second opinion." He told her, turning his eyes back to his Holotome.

Zhalia tried to ignore the urge to scoff in disbelieve at his words, knowing that he could have asked Sophie as well but in the end, followed his gaze to the Holotome as well.

The Holotome was showing the image of an amulet, El Tunchi's if Zhalia were to guess.

"This is the amulet of El Tunchi, the titan that we are looking for. The amulet is rumored to be located in the southern part of the rain-forest." Dante explained, looking at Zhalia to see if she was catching up with him. She gave him a small nod, signalizing that he could go on.

" A group of tourists went missing in the North, close to the border where the village is located at. A seeker was one of the tourists and they were rather far from the amulet as well. What do you think about that?" He asked, leaning back in his chair and laying his elbow on the arm-rest, his chin now leaned onto his closed fist as he looked at her.

Zhalia took in the information Dante provided her with and frowned at his words, catching on what he was trying to point out.

"I doubt that it was the titan." Zhalia eventually said. "If there really was a seeker with that group he or she would have known better than falling into it's trap and could have fought it as well. Also, no matter how strong the titan is, it would have killed them off instead of kidnapping them. Titans don't kidnap people."

Dante attentively listened to her every word, a part of him having already expected her to say something along these lines.

He also thought that something wasn't right about all of this and that Metz wouldn't have send the entire team if they just had to retrieve the amulet. There was more to it than the Foundation was telling them and even though Dante was part of the Council now, they obviously still liked to keep some things to themselves.

If the information that the Foundation was purposely keeping from them in order to sugar-coat the mission were to hurt anyone of the team, Dante would personally ensure to find the one responsible for it.

"That's just what I was thinking." Dante said, a small sigh escaping his lips as he met her gaze. "We need to be prepared."

Zhalia gave him a firm nod, knowing that it was more than likely that things were going to get slightly more complicated than they expected.

"I'm always prepared." She spoke firmly, determination clearly visible in her brown orbs.

His eyes softened slightly and a small smile appeared on his lips upon hearing the familiar words leaving her lips.

He always knew that Zhalia was confident in her skills and she had every right to because after all, she was one of the Foundations best seekers and it's best spy as well. It would take a lot to take a skilled seeker such as her down and it wasn't like Dante would allow something like this to happen

in the first place.

He knew that many people were still doubting her loyalty towards the Team and the Foundation itself, but he never doubted her once even after all that happened. Dante had faith in Zhalia and her skills and whenever something was on his mind or he was uncertain about it, she always was the one to talk to.

"I know." He said with a smile before he carefully closed his Holotome and put it back into his backpack, Zhalia's eyes following his movements.

The raven-haired seeker closed her hand tightly around the arm-rest and inwardly debated whether she should leave or not. She assumed that it was all that Dante wanted her opinion on and thus she was technically free to leave and yet, she was slightly hesitant.

After another moment passed, Zhalia finally decided that it would best if she would leave because she knew that once she would stay, she was going to regret it.

Zhalia exhaled a small sigh, inaudible to anyone but her before she rose from her seat and made her way to the door but just as she was about to reach out for the door-handle something grabbed her wrist.

Zhalia froze in place and her back straightened upon feeling his firm grip on her wrist and she inwardly cursed herself for not having left faster.

"I'm sorry." She heard him mumble behind her, his grip around her wrist firm yet she knew that he was careful not to hurt her.

Zhalia bit the inside of her cheek and lowered her head slightly, a soft sigh escaping her lips while her shoulders slumped slightly, still facing the door.

She suddenly felt tired, frustrated and angry all at once and it was making her feel nauseous. She knew exactly what he was apologizing for and as much as she wanted to believe his words, Zhalia didn't have the heart to do so. She knew best that if they would turn back in time he would still make the same decision.

"Don't apologize for something that you are not sorry about Dante." Zhalia said, her voice barely above a whisper.

She felt his grip around her wrist suddenly tightening and if he wouldn't let go soon, she was more than certain that there was going to be a red mark gracing the skin on her wrist.

She heard him sigh behind her. "You should know me Zhalia." He said softly, the hint of hurt in his voice clearly audible.

"Exactly."

As soon as she spoke those words did she regret having opened her mouth in the first place. It was true, she probably knew him best out of the entire team and that's exactly why she knew that he wasn't feeling sorry. Guilt, maybe, but he wasn't feeling sorry.

"Zhaal-" He started, but upon hearing him calling her by the nickname that he had given her all these years ago did something in her snap painfully.

"Don't." She cut him off, her frustration clearly audible in her voice as she turned around to look at him. All the things that she had bottled up were daring to burst and leave her lips but she somehow managed to stop herself from doing so.

His amber eyes were solidly set on her and even though his expression seemed emotionless the small spark of regret in his eyes were giving him away.

"They missed you Dante." Zhalia told him, her hard gaze meeting his. "You left without as much as a word and didn't even try to contact any of us, especially them. I don't want you to give them false hope regarding your return because we both know it's only temporary."

Dante furrowed his eyes."It's not temporary." He spoke seriously and for a second Zhalia was tempted to believe him, but the rational part of her mind was preventing her from fully believing in his words.

"I really want to believe you Dante." Zhalia admitted, her hazel eyes softening slightly. "But only time will tell."

With that, she pulled her wrist out of his grip and turned around to leave the cockpit without sparing him another glance, closing the door behind herself.

Dante watched her leave with a heavy heart, knowing that Zhalia was partly right and had also every reason to doubt his words.

But he was being serious regarding the topic of him staying permanently. He may be a member of the Foundation Council now, but he was not going to leave them a second time.

He knew that he had disappointed them greatly and knowing that it seemed to have affected Zhalia who always seemed to mind her own business just as much as the others was making him feel only worse.

Dante tiredly sit back down in his seat and went with a hand over his face, looking out of the window of the jet deep in thought.

He wasn't going to leave his team a second time, that was sure, and he would make sure to fix the bond that they once shared.


	3. Powerless

**Disclaimer :** I do not own Huntik:Secrets and Seekers nor do I own the characters. All I do own is the plot of my story and my OC's.

 **A/N : **I'm back with a new chapter! I wanted to thank you all for reviewing the past chapter. It means a lot to me and I honestly appreciate every kind of feedback that I get. The reviews are what also motivates me to keep on posting because I feel like you all actually enjoy what I am writing:)

Anyways, I hope that you like this chapter as well and please, be so kind and leave a review so that I know whether you liked this chapter or not.

Enjoy!:)

* * *

 **CHAPTER 3**

 _Somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean_

 _1PM_

Zhalia softly closed the door behind herself before she slowly made her way towards her seat, aware of the curious stares she was receiving. She didn't pay them any minds though and pointedly avoided their gazes, her expression as impassive as always as she sat down next to Sophie who had seemingly switched places with Den while she had been gone.

The young Casterwill heiress turned her head to her left to take a peek at Zhalia in hope to find a small sign of what they were talking about, curiosity taking the best out of her but Zhalia remained expressionless. She looked over to Lok and Den who caught her questioning gaze, Lok merely shrugging in return.

"So Zhalia," Lok started after another moment, trying to sound indifferent. "What did Dante want to talk about?" He asked as he leaned back in his seat, petting Cherit in the process who seemed to have fallen asleep on Lok's shoulder.

Zhalia lifted her gaze to meet his, hazel eyes immediately noticing the hidden curiosity in his blue orbs.

"Nothing important." She shrugged. "He just asked for a second opinion."

Lok's mouth formed into the shape of a small 'o' before he gave her a small nod of understanding, inwardly disappointed that she wasn't going to share much more.

Sophie still didn't seem to be satisfied with Zhalia's answer and upon seeing that Lok wasn't going to dig any deeper, she took it on herself.

"If he really wanted a second opinion, why didn't he ask me when I was there then?" Sophie asked slightly leery, her green orbs still firmly set on her female companion.

Zhalia rolled her eyes, obviously annoyed and threw Sophie a small glare through narrowed eyes. "Why don't you go and ask him yourself then, princess?" She said lightly miffed, obviously not in the mood for Sophie's attitude.

Sophie bit her tongue, not oblivious to Zhalia's temper and decided to give it a rest before things may get out of hand. Zhalia was stubborn and if she didn't want to share something with them, there was nothing they could do to change her mind.

Sophie knew that Zhalia was most likely telling the truth as well since she had never lied to them. She kept information from them, yes, but she never went as far as lying to them so she concluded that Dante really wanted to get a second opinion on whatever it was and still, Sophie knew that it wasn't all.

Sophie then averted her eyes from Zhalia and turned her head to the right, grabbing her backpack in the process. She dug her hand into her bag and pulled out one of the books she had brought with her before she proceeded by reading it without as much as another word towards any of them.

Zhalia inwardly sighed to herself, glad that Sophie didn't keep on questioning her because she was sure that if she did, Zhalia would have lost her cool rather quickly and she was not too keen on doing so.

She leaned her head back against the seat and closed her eyes, having lost interest into the mission already.

The mission didn't start out well already and now that her mood was close to ruined as well thanks to her rather unpleasant little chat with both Dante and then Sophie, she wanted to get the mission done as soon as possible.

"Hey Zhalia," Lok suddenly called, making her crack open one eye. "Did Dante mention how we are going to start our search for the titan by any chance?" The blonde inquired curiously.

Zhalia thought for a moment and also noticed that he hadn't told any of them about the course of mission, including her.

She eventually shook her head, now looking at Lok and Den who also seemed to wait for her answer. "No, he didn't" She answered with a small frown.

It wasn't like Dante to withhold mission details from the team and now that she was thinking about it, there was very little they actually knew about the mission.

Of course he had also told her about the disappearance and warned her about the possible interference of others in their mission but he didn't tell them the duration of the mission nor what exactly they were to do in order to find the titan.

On top of that, the thing that seemed most suspicious to Zhalia was that he told them that their mission was to retrieve the titan itself and that he left out the missing tourists.

He told her that the titan maybe not the one at fault for their disappearance, but he didn't say anything about looking for them either.

"Strange." Den mumbled, his brows furrowed whereas Lok gave him a small nod out of agreement. The two of them ostensibly noticed that they haven't been provided with a lot of information from Dante as well.

"I am sure that Dante has his reasons." Sophie suddenly spoke, joining their conversation without lifting her gaze from the page she was currently reading. She seemed rather unconcerned about the entire matter, trusting Dante to know what he was doing.

"Exactly." Lok started, looking at Sophie with a rather worried expression. "And that's what I fear. Remember what happened the last time that he did something without warning us beforehand?" He spoke in a rather hushed tone, his expression now grim.

Den frowned upon hearing Lok's words and Sophie suddenly stopped reading, her eyes still glued onto her page nonetheless, grimacing lightly. It felt as if the temperature suddenly dropped and everything went silent, the only sound audible being Cherits silent snoring.

Zhalia felt a small pang in her chest and was very well aware that the others also knew what Lok was referring to, judging by their expression.

Dante's death.

It was quite painful to think about it whether Zhalia wanted to admit it or not, and she knew that the others were just as affected as she was.

His death was one of the memories that Zhalia had tried to suppress as best as possible but unfortunately, it still had the same effect on her as it did the months before.

It was a rather traumatic happening to the team and had caught each one of the team-members at both surprise, leaving them in a state of shock.

Lok was right though. The last time Dante had withheld information to them was when he sacrificed himself, neither telling nor warning anyone beforehand because he knew that they would try to stop him.

Zhalia suddenly felt sick at the thought of history repeating itself. If Lok was right and Dante really didn't tell them much about the mission because he knew that they would object with whatever he was planning, the mission had to be either more dangerous than they expected it to be or there was something that he didn't want them to know just yet.

Either way, Zhalia was not looking forward to finding out which one of those two were the actual reason for his collusiveness.

"Anyways, there is nothing we can do." Den uttered as he fiddled with his amulet around his neck.

Sophie nodded out agreement and Lok heaved a sigh, tiredly running his hand over his face.

"Den is right." Sophie agreed. "Worrying is not going to help either so we just have to wait and see."

Lok still seemed to have rather mixed feelings about the entire situation but reluctantly agreed with Sophie and Den.

He knew that his mentor was one to keep most things to himself and tried to figure out things on his own first, no matter how hard it may be in order to keep them out of trouble and Danger.

The blue eyed seeker took a small glance at Zhalia in order to figure out what she what thinking about all of this. She was facing her lap with hard and narrowed eyes, deep in thought and that was when he knew that there was every reason to worry.

He knew that Zhalia was clearly thinking along the same lines and knew best how Dante was thinking and now that it looked like she was having her own concerns regarding his behavior no matter how small they were, Lok was seriously getting worried.

Strangely though, it wasn't the mission that he was worried about or the complications that may occur. He was confident that they would be able to deal with everything that may except them on the mission, no matter what.

It was Zhalia that he was worried about.

The next few hours passed by rather uneventful. Zhalia was busy doing her own researches regarding the titan on her Holotome, Sophie was still reading one of her books and Den and Lok both joined Cherit in dreamland.

They were due to arrive any time soon and thus they decided to spend their time doing something productive or well, at least that's what Lok had said before he fell asleep, Den following right after.

Sophie and Zhalia both merely shook their heads, having expected them to doze off sooner or later anyways.

"Seekers." Came a sudden voice over the seekers recognized as Dante's, making Zhalia and Sophie pause. "We'll arrive in around ten minutes, so get ready."

And with that, his voice disappeared.

Zhalia closed the Holotome whereas Sophie closed the book she was reading, the two of them putting their items into their respective bags before Sophie took on the task of waking the other two members of their team.

It took a couple of minutes and a bit of threatening from Zhalia until Lok and Den eventually woke up, Cherit joining them shortly after.

Den looked out of the window and noticed that they were above the rain-forest already and that Dante was tying to land the plane in one of the rather small clearings.

"Here goes nothing." Lok mumbled under his breath as he felt how the jet was slowly lowering itself.

It went rather fast and luckily, without any further turbulence. As the jet finally reached the ground, the group of seekers left the jet and met outside.

The fresh and slightly air greeted them and it was slightly raining, the raindrops that splashed against the leafs of the tree and plants producing a calming sound.

Dante was the last one to leave the jet, dressed in his usual attire and his trademark yellow coat.

"Oh man, I forgot how boring these hour long flights are!" Den complained while he was stretching his body.

"I know right!" Lok agreed, immediately siding with him before a yawn escaped his lips.

Zhalia snorted. "Yeah, especially while being asleep." She drawled knowingly, Sophie chuckling next to her.

Lok gave out a sheepish chuckle whereas Den stuck out his tongue towards them. "I was charging my energy." He lamely returned, crossing his arms afterwards.

Zhalia rolled her eyes at his excuse and Dante gave a small chuckle at the scene, his usual smirk firmly set on his lips.

"Well team, now that you are seemingly fully charged," Dante started, throwing Lok and Den a pointed look. "let's proceed with the mission itself, shall we?"

"Aye!" Cherit called enthusiastically as he was flying next to Lok, who also seemed rather anticipating now that the mission was finally starting.

"Where do we start looking for the amulet though?" Lok inquired, giving Dante a curious look.

The auburn-haired seeker took out his Holotome and as soon as he opened its lid, a holographic map appeared.

"From here on, we have to walk for around thirty minutes west until we reach a river. We have to cross it and that's when we enter the actual area where the amulet is rumored to be located at. That's when he have to be on full alert in case we encounter the titan." Dante explained whilst being as professional as always.

"Also, remember the strategy the titan uses." Dante warned, eyeing each of them seriously. "Don't fall into it's trap."

The others each nodded in return, knowing that there was no playing around with a tricky titan as this one.

"Alright then, let's go."

And with that, the mission began. Dante lead the group of five plus Cherit followed by Lok and Sophie, Den and Zhalia behind them.

It was kind of a habit for Zhalia to be the last one in case something happened, this way she was able to notify the others whenever her keen senses would notice something abnormal.

The sticks were cracking under their boots and it was still raining slightly, wetting their hair slightly. It was still warm though and the air was rather fresh thanks to the infinite amount of plants and trees that were surrounding them.

"Ouch! Damn mosquitoes!" Zhalia heard Lok call from in front of her, making her smirk slightly.

The next minutes passed by rather fast, Den and Lok were chatting with each other while Sophie occasionally joined in.

Dante who was still leading the team was silently talking to Cherit while Zhalia remained silent, occupied by her own thoughts.

She didn't know why but somehow she was suddenly feeling slightly dizzy. She blamed the lack of sleep and the stress but strangely, she wasn't feeling like this while she was in the jet.

At first she brushed it off, not paying it any second thought but upon seeing Sophie suddenly stopping in front of her, leaning slightly against a tree she knew that something was off.

"Sophie!" Lok called worriedly and instantly went to her side. "What's the matter?" He asked in concern.

Dante had also stopped and turned to look at Sophie with a small concerned frown, whereas Cherit and Den watched in confusion.

"I don't know." Sophie admitted, lifting a hand to touch her temple in pain. "I just suddenly feel dizzy and my head started to hurt as well."

Lok's forehead furrowed slightly at her words before he turned to exchange a confused look with Den.

"Maybe you didn't eat enough?" Lok guessed but Sophie shook her head.

"It's not that." She told him, trying to stand upright again. "It's hard to explain but I suddenly feel so _powerless_."

"Powerless?" Den echoed, now seriously concerned about their current situation.

Lok's worried eyes were still firmly set on Sophie who finally managed to properly stand on her own, but he still wasn't going to move from her side in case she might feel dizzy again.  
"Zhalia," Lok suddenly called, his worried eyes set on her. "You look quite pale too." He stated with concern lacing his voice, the others turning to look at her as well.

"You too?" Sophie asked worriedly and Zhalia merely avoided her gaze, sighing as response.

Dante's eyes hardened, amber eyes shining with concern as he took in Zhalia's pale and exhausted face.

He knew that Zhalia would have never admitted it if it weren't for Sophie pointing it out first and the mere fact that she as well wasn't feeling good didn't mean any good. She was a strong seeker and it would take a lot to make her feel that way and thus, Dante knew that the cause for them suddenly feeling _powerless_ as Sophie had described the feeling at, it had to be something rather serious.

Den went over to Zhalia and laid a hand on her shoulder, silently supporting her in case her condition would worsen.

"But why aren't we feeling the same way then?" Lok inquired, looking at Dante in question.

The amber-eyed seeker merely heaved a sigh in return, inwardly wondering the same.

"I don't know." He admitted, his eyes falling back on both Zhalia and Sophie's forms. "But we have to be even more careful from now on. If any of you are feeling worse, tell us." Dante firmly spoke, his eyes falling onto Zhalia. "Instantly."

The two females both gave a rather hesitant nod before they all proceeded to walk, Lok following Sophie like a shadow while Den was right next to Zhalia, easily falling into step with her.

Lok and Sophie were silently talking to each other and Zhalia didn't fail to notice the way Lok eyed his girlfriend carefully, trying to make sure that she was being alright.

Zhalia wasn't feeling any better at all but still, she tried to suppress it as best as possible.

"I'll be fine Den, you can go back to Lok and Sophie." Zhalia assured him softly, giving him a small look out of the corner of her eyes.

Den shook his head at her words, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. He knew that Zhalia never wanted to rely on others and was rather stubborn and wanted to deal with most things on her own, but fortunately Den was used to her way of thinking.

"No thanks, I don't like being the third wheel." He spoke with a wave of his hand. "And I wouldn't want to leave you alone either." He finished more softly.

Zhalia turned to look at him with knowing eyes, inwardly grateful for his stubbornness.

"But are you really feeling _powerless_? I mean, how in the world did that happen, to you nonetheless." Den asked, shooting her a curios yet cautious look.

"It's hard to explain." Zhalia admitted, closing her eyes for a moment. "It's just that I feel as if my powers are slowly leaving my own body." She admitted but as soon as she spoke those words did she freeze in place.

"Zhalia?" Den called worriedly as soon as he noticed that his companion stopped walking, immediately moving to her side.

The others seemingly heard Den's call as well because Lok and Sophie turned their heads whereas Dante once more stopped, his amber eyes immediately falling on Zhalia upon hearing Den calling her name.

Zhalia didn't pay them any mind though and instead bit the inside of her cheek as she felt a sudden rush of dread overcoming her.

Her face turned into a frown before she turned to one of the trees that were located to their right, reaching out her arm with her palm facing the tree.

The others merely watched her in both confusion and concern but as soon as Zhalia went into her fighting position, realization hit him like a ton of bricks.

Before he was able to open his mouth though, Zhalia's voice reached his ears.

"Boltflare." Zhalia uttered, halfheartedly expecting the usual rush of power to run through her veins but to the surprise and horror to everyone, nothing happened.

"What the-" Lok started off, his mouth agape out of surprise as he watched Zhalia trying to use a series of other spells that all resulted the same.

Nothing happened.

Zhalia bit the inside of her cheek and tried to remain composed, inwardly assuring herself that there was an explanation for all of this.

Her hazel eyes lifted to meet the surprised ones of the team before they locked with amber ones.

"We got a problem." She stated, her hands slowly curling up into fists. She wasn't able to use any spells and upon trying to summon Gareon, nothing had happened as well and it was starting to actually worry her.

"What's going on?" Den asked with a frown, looking over to Dante who still had his eyes on Zhalia before they moved to Sophie.

"Sophie, try to use a spell." Dante firmly ordered and the Casterwill did as told. Sophie tried to use Hyperstride but just like with Zhalia, nothing had happened.

Her now wide with panic filled green eyes were looking at Dante who was grimacing at the scene in front of him.

"Boltflare." He now called as well and just like with Sophie and Zhalia before, absolutely nothing had happened.

He was just as clueless as the others regarding what was happening right now and why they weren't able to use spells or invoking their titans, but he knew that if it was permanent the mission to retrieve the titan without being able to use Seeker-magic would be very difficult, if not even close to impossible.

"Why can't we use our seeker-magic?" Lok inquired, seemingly terrified as he and Den tried to summon their titans, in vain.

"And if that's why me and Zhalia aren't feeling well, why is it only us?" Sophie asked, looking at Dante as if he was holding the answers to the questions they were having.

Their mentor slightly shook his head to himself, looking quite troubled himself as he spoke up.

"I don't know, but it looks like there is nothing we can do it about right now." He told them grimly.

Lok let out a groan and tiredly rubbed his neck, obviously displeased with the whole situation.

"Oh man, can we even get the titan without using our powers?" He asked, already exhausted by only thinking about having to fight the titan with their bare hands.

"We will have to find out." Dante returned. "We should reach the river in a couple of minutes, so we better go and get the job done as soon as possible."

The others nodded in return and the group once more proceeded to walk, this time in silence.

Luckily, Dante was right and they managed to reach the river within a matter of minutes. It was rather broad and the current seemed to be rather strong as well, the sound of water hitting the stones cutting through the silence.

They walked towards the river and only stopped at it's borders, looking into the water with equally worried expressions.

"Now that we don't have our powers, how are we going to cross it?" Den asked, looking to the others in question.

"I doubt that Cherit would be able to fly us over as well." Sophie added as an afterthought, clearly disappointed.

"Oh man, if I could only use Kipperin!" Lok brokenly complained, slumping his shoulders in the process.

"Consider it an exercise." Dante suddenly spoke, earning four pairs of confused looks. He paid them no mind and instead, slowly took of his coat and laid it onto the ground before he looked up at Cherit.

"Cherit, could you carry our stuff over?" He asked the little white titan who in return gave him a salute.

"But how are you going to cross the river?" The little titan asked in his usual raspy voice, his head lightly tilted aside.

Dante merely smirked in return and eyed his team out of the corner of his eyes, noticing that Zhalia was giving him a look that dared him to speak his next words.

"Well Cherit, let's just say that if there is no way around it, we have to get through it." He cheekily told the titan.

Silence.

"You can't be serious Dante!"

"The water is freezing!"

"The current is way too strong, we're gonna drown!"

Their outburst only widened his smirk and even though Zhalia remained silent, it was obvious that she was clearly opposed to the idea as well. Still, she knew that there was no other way and thus didn't even bother to complain.

It took some more moments of discussing and arguing but eventually, they all gave in and put down their bags, Cherit grabbing them before he flew over across the river and placed them onto the ground there.

"Ready?" Dante then asked the others who reluctantly nodded as response.

He was the first one to enter it and even though the current was rather strong, it still wouldnt manage to pull them down the stream.

The water was indeed cold but fortunately only reached Dante's ribs, giving him some room to move while he was trying to walk against the current.

The others soon followed suit and upon hearing Lok's rather loud yelp as soon as he entered the water, Den snorted.

"Come on Lok, it's not that cold." Den called teasingly over his shoulder, the sound of the current almost covering his voice.

"Says the one thats shivering!" Lok returned as he tried his best to maintain his balance in the waters.

It was quite hard to walk against the current and took quite an amount of time and effort but once you got the hang of it, it was bearable.

Cherit kept on yelling encouraging words toward the team, flying above them just in case something may happen.

Dante was the first one to reach the other side of the river, pulling himself up before he sat down onto the grass, keeping on an eye onto the rest of the team.

"Are you okay?" He called concerned, inwardly hoping that they would be able to cross the river without any troubles just like he did.

If they would have their powers they could have used hyperstride and could have avoided all the trouble but unfortunately, its true that you only miss it when its gone.

"Yeah!" Came Lok's call who was in front of Zhalia, still having slightly trouble getting adjusted to the strength of the current.

Den was the next one to reach the other side, followed by Sophie. Zhalia was behind Lok and even though she could have easily surpassed him already, she was going to stay behind him just in case.

"Come on Lok, you're almost there!" Came Cherits encouraging voice as Lok took another step forward.

The blonde gulped down the lump that had suddenly formed itself in his throat before he lifted his head to give the titan a weary smile.

He would have to take only one or two more steps until he would have made it as well and would be able to join the others.

"Y-yeah." He said through gritted teeth and just as he was about to take another step forwards, it happened.

He seemed to have slipped and upon having been off guard, the current was making Lok lose his balance.

"Lok!" Came Sophie's cry upon seeing him slipping and just before the current would have pulled him with it, Zhalia gripped his hand tightly in hers, holding onto one of the roots that peeked out of the other side.

The river was set rather low so that there was quite a space between the water itself and the land so that Sophie and the others were unable to reach them.

Lok held tightly onto Zhalia wrist and tried his best to regain his balance but unfortunately, he was unable to do so because of the current.

Meanwhile Zhalia was trying her best to hold on to both the root and Lok despite of the current trying to make her loose her balance.

It was hard and it took a lot of willpower to maintain her grip on both at the same time but she would rather let go of the root than Lok.

She didn't know when she had started to get this soft but she had to admit that she had a soft spot for the clumsy boy.

"Hold on guys we will get you out of there!" Came Den's yell.

Zhalia gritted her teeth and tightened her grip on Lok's wrist when she felt it loosening, shooting him a look that told him not to let go.

"Hurry! I don't know how long this thing is going to hold!" Zhalia called back and as if on cue, she felt the root slowly loosening itself from it's place.

She inwardly cursed their luck before she took a look at Lok just to see staring right back at her, having noticed that the root was getting loose as well.

"Zhalia-" he started off but Zhalia cut him off mid-sentence.

"Don't even think of finishing the sentence Lok." She threatened, tightening her grip around his wrist.

The root would get loose every second now and if the others weren't going to do anything within the next seconds they would be getting dragged to god knows where.

"Cherit!" Zhalia suddenly called, gaining the white titans attention. "Try to get Lok out of here." She told him.

Cherit seemed hesitant but eventually flew over to the blonde boy and tried to lift him out of the water.

"But Zhalia, what about you?" The titan asked as he helped Lok regaining his balance.

Zhalia bit her lower lip. "I will be fine. Now go!"

Cherit did as he was told, even if reluctant, and pulled Lok out of the waters despite of the blondes complaints.

Zhalia watched how Cherit managed to get Lok to the others and just then did she suddenly feel drained and exhausted.

Now that the adrenaline had left her body she was feeling numb all over, a stinging pain making itself noticeable in her head.

Her grip around the root loosened slightly and just when she was about to tighten it, did she hear the dreaded ripping sound.

She felt herself getting pushed by the current and just when it was about to pull her underwater did she feel someone grabbing her arm and pulling her back.

"I got you." Came Dante's voice from behind her, much to her surprise. She was feeling too exhausted to say anything and the coldness from the water wasn't helping either.

As soon as Dante had seen that the root had ripped, he jumped into the river without a second thought, not risking Zhalia to get parted from the group.

He then pulled her against his chest from behind while cherit was holding on to him in order for Dante to stay upright.

His arms were securely locked around her waist, his grip tight to make sure that she wouldn't get out of it before Cherit pulled them out of the river and onto the grass with great effort.

The two of them were trying to catch their breath and Zhalia was still feeling numb all over, not to mention beyond exhausted.

"Zhalia, Dante! Are you okay?" Den asked as he made his way towards the two of them.

Dante gave him a small nod in return before he watched Den eyeing Zhalia, obviously worried before his eyes fell back go Dante.

Dante once more gave him a silent nod, signaling that it was alright for Den to leave who eventually did so.

Whether he liked to admit it or not,Den knew that Zhalia would be in good hands and Sophie needed an extra hand for treating Lok's small injury that he had gotten during his little accident.

Dante turned his head to look over to Zhalia, his eyes softening upon seeing that her usual cream colored skin was now as pale as a sheet, her body shaking slightly.

He rose from where he was seated and walked over to where Cherit had previously placed their bags before he grabbed what he was looking for and went back over to Zhalia.

Zhalia suddenly felt a light weight on her shoulders and looked up to see that Dante had placed his coat around her.

He then laid a hand on her shoulder and looked down to her with concerned amber eyes that didn't go unnoticed by Zhalia. The familiarity of the gesture was making Zhalias heart drop slightly.

"Are you alright?" He asked softly, genuinely concerned about her well being. She must have been tired especially after their little accident. He had to admit that he was partly blaming himself for it and should have paid more attention to them, especially since she was the last one to cross the river.

Zhalia eyed him for some more moments before she averted her gaze and heaved a small sigh.

"I guess." She returned shortly, her gaze now locked onto the river below. She was still feeling numb all over and yet, the warmth that his coat provided was helping to get rid of the cold.

She wondered whether he was feeling cold but also knew that it would be useless to argue with him since they had various arguments about this already, him always insisting that he was fine.

"Thank you." Zhalia suddenly mumbled, not looking up from the river as she tightened the coat around her shoulders.

She didnt know whether it was because of her exhaustion, but she was beginning to feel guilty for her behavior towards him at the beginning of the mission.

She then felt Dante squeeze her shoulder. "Anytime." She heard him speak softly, his voice barely above a whisper and she knew that he meant it.

Now came the mission itself.


	4. The Fight

A/N: Thank you all for your reviews and support! Please, leave a review with your feedback for this chapter as well. I highly appreciate it and now, please enjoy this chapter!:) This is by far the longest one I have ever written and I wrote it on my phone so I apologise if some parts were rushed or if there are mistakes.

 **CHAPTER 4**

 _In the Peruvian rain-forest_

 _5PM_

The team had taken a small rest after the incident before they proceeded to look for the titan, their senses sharp in case the titan decided to grace them with its presence.

They didn't know what was going to expect them, but they were prepared despite of their current loss of powers.

The group was currently walking towards the amulets rumored location and now that they were getting closer, the chances of encountering the titan were getting higher as well.

"Are we there yet?" Lok whined, his feet hurting already because of the hours they have spend walking.

Zhalia refrained from giving any kind of remark at Lok's rather predictable words, knowing just as well as Lok that if they would have their powers they could have used Nimblefire or Shadowspeed.

She continued to walk and shifted the weight of her backpack slightly, the yellow coat that was securely wrapped around her firm in place. The bluenette was still wearing Dante's coat and even though she had tried to return it to him countless amount of times already, he had always refused to take it.

Whenever she tried to take off the coat, she would earn a pointed look from the auburn haired seeker that made Zhalia wonder when it was that he had gotten even more stubborn than her.

It wasn't like he hadn't been before because she knew that once Dante had his mind set on something there was no way to change his mind, but to her it seemed as if his stubborn behavior had grown more intense since the last time they have seen each other.

Fortunately though, nothing else had happened to the team with the exception for Lok tripping over vines or his own feet a couple of times and occasionally, Den following Loks example which resulted two sulking teens.

"Oh come on Lok, we didn't walk that far yet! And you're not the only one who is getting tired so stop with your permanent complaining." Sophie retorted with a roll of her eye.

Den raised an eyebrow whereas Dante caught Zhalia's amused gaze with his upon hearing Sophie's words, wondering what had happened while he had been gone.

The bluenette merely gave him a small shake of her head as if to tell him that it was a long story, what only perked Dante's curiosity further.

In comparison to the others though, Lok seemed anything but amused. The blonde narrowed his eyes and pursed his lips, hurt and disappointment filling his blue eyes.

"Hey!" He called, his defenses up in an instant. "I am not always complaining!"

"Here we go." Den muttered under his breath, earning a soft snort from Zhalia.

"You are Lok." Sophie calmly returned, oblivious to her boyfriends displeasure. "And about the tiniest things as well." She didn't even bother to turn around to face him and continued to look ahead, ducking under one of the huge plants that were in her way.

"Am not!" Lok returned stubbornly.

"Are too!"

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Nu-uh!"

"Yes-uh!"

"Would you stop it already you two?" Zhalia finally snapped, sick of the teens pointless arguing.

Sophie merely huffed whereas Lok shut his mouth without as much as a word, a small pout on his lips.

It wasn't the first time that something like this had happened and even though Sophie was partly right and Lok had a habit of complaining, they knew that it mostly served as a way to start a conversation between the team.

He had his own intentions and only meant it well, but Sophie didn't seem to have noticed up until now at all.

"Sorry." Lok mumbled, disappointed at the outcome. He only wanted to break the suffocating silence but it seemed to have backfired, much to his dismay.

Den gave him a firm pat on his shoulder.

"Cheer up Lok!" He told his companion with a smile. "It's not everyday that we get a mission and are able to beat some titan. We should enjoy ourselves before we get back." He told him encouragingly, earning a nod from Lok in return.

"Aye my boy!" Cherit agreed as he flew over to the two, settling himself on Lok's shoulders. "You should have fun and enjoy yourself!"

Lok reluctantly agreed with the two, giving them a small smile before he straightened his back.

"You guys are right!" he told them, his smile now turning into a grin. "Let's have some fun!"

"As far as I am concerned though, we aren't close to the titan yet nor is there an sign from the titan either." Zhalia reminded them, her eyes steadily scanning their surroundings.

Now that they were without their powers it was proven to be more difficult to look out for possible danger. Of course Zhalia and Dante had a clear advantage since they grew up being a seeker and were prepared for a scenario such as this as well, but Sophie grew up relying on her powers and wasn't familiar with the feeling of being powerless. Den and Lok were having a small advantage as well and didn't seem to mind a lot since they were the last ones to become a seeker and yet, it also had its downsides since they were the ones that knew least about how to act in this kind of situation.

"The titan is going to make it's appearance soon enough." Dante assured them, his eyes firmly set onto his Holotome.

It turned out to be true.

A couple of more minutes have passed until there was a small shift in the atmosphere around them, not going unnoticed by Sophie.

She didn't think much of it though and continued to walk, her senses on high alert though just in case.

It was then that a something reached Den ears. It was soft and almost inaudible, but it didn't escape his notice though.

Somewhere in the back of his mind a small voice was screaming at him to ignore it but as much as he tried, the tune was too soothing to ignore, the soft whistling making him feel at peace.

Before he was able to stop himself, he pressed his lips together and was about to answer the soft call but before he was able to do so, two hands covered his mouth to prevent him from doing so. Den snapped out of his trance and looked down to his mouth to see that Zhalia and Lok each had a hand placed on it, Zhalia frowning and Lok looking alarmed.

Dante and Sophie had stopped as well to look at him, Sophie's expression holding small surprise whereas Dante looked as if he had expected it to happen sooner or later.

"Den." Zhalia drawled in a dangerously low tone, making him gulp. She had luckily noticed Den's sudden silence just in time and as soon she saw that he was about to let out a whistle she clapped a hand over his mouth, Lok following suit by clamping his own one over Zhalia's one.

Her and Lok's hands were still firmly set in place in case Den would try to do it once more, but luckily it looked like he realized what was going on just in time.

"Oh damn." Came Den's mumble from beneath their hands as the realization hit him, his eyes now wide.

"Is it safe to take our hands away?" Lok inquired worriedly, looking at Dante who eyed Den for another moment before he gave him a nod.

Lok and Zhalia both hesitantly removed their hands from Den's mouth who gave them a sheepish smile and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Explain." Zhalia demanded whilst she crossed her arms above her chest, shooting him a small glare. She knew that it wasn't entirely his own fault, but he still should have known better than to give into the temptation.

Den slumped his shoulders slightly before he looked at them. "Didn't you guys hear it too?" He asked the team, earning confused looks in return.

"Well I didn't hear anything." spoke Lok, Sophie siding with him. The look that he received from the two remaining members told him that they didn't hear anything either, leaving him the more confused.

"It didn't exactly sound like a piercingly loud whistle, it was more like a soft whistling tune. I tried to ignore it but it was kind of unconsciously, I guess. " Den swiftly explained.

Dante frowned. If it really was the case and that the titan was trying to get into their consciousness and manipulate them that way, it would be even more dangerous.

"Creepy." Lok muttered under his breath, shuddering at the mere thought that a titan was able to get into their consciousness.

Dante opened his mouth to speak up, but something caught his attention out of the corner of his eye before he was able to do so.

His amber eyes fell to a tree trunk that was several meters away from them, his forehead furrowing as he tried to make out anything unusual. Whatever it was that had caught his attention seemed to have disappeared already, but Dante was no fool and learned that sometimes the things one was looking for were hidden in plain sight.

Indeed, his ears picked up the faint sound of a stick breaking and that was when he reacted. He jumped out of harms way just in time as the spell was flying towards him, missing him by an inch as he landed on his feet, throwing a glare towards the direction that it came from.

The other instantly tensed and watched the scene unfolding itself with wide eyes before they swiftly went into their fighting positions.

Zhalia's eyes unconsciously fell over to Dante's form to make sure that the spell didn't hit him, the knot in her stomach easing slightly upon seeing him unhurt.

"Show yourself." Dante demanded as he rose from the ground, his hard gaze locked onto the place the spell came from.

He knew that even though the titan was near, there was no way that a titan was able to shoot spells towards them.

Then again, he wasn't quite sure why it was that others were seemingly able to use spells in the first place and they weren't.

A figure of what seemed to be a male walked out from behind the tree trunk, a smirk firmly set on his lips as another two suddenly appeared, making Dante frown.

Judging by the way Sophie released a small huff he assumed that those three we rent the only ones who had made an appearance and that was when he inwardly cursed their bad luck.

They were surrounded.

He swiftly took a look at these seekers and eyed them closely, the first thing he noticed being that they were dressed in the attire of the Blood Spirals.

So his assumption had been right after all. There were still Blood Spirals that were trying to hinder the Foundation seekers of doing their missions and if he were to take a guess, he would say that they were probably the reason for the tourists sudden disappearance as well.

"Dante Vale." The one who Dante assumed had shot the spell towards him drawled, obviously amused at the outcome at the situation.

"I didn't expect you to be the one the Foundation would send, with your team nonetheless." He spoke, eyeing each member closely.

"Dante Vale the top seeker of the Huntik Foundation together with the Casterwill heiress, the Casterwill champion and the infamous orphan boy all in one place." His eyes lastly feel on Zhalia.

Something seemed to spark in his eyes and even though Zhalia tried her best to look indifferent despite of his gaze, she knew that he had recognized her the moment he had laid eyes on her.

He seemed familiar, and Zhalia had soon come to recognize him as the leader of the division that she had been placed in. She hadn't actually talked to him before but she knew that he had always had kept his eye on her.

"And not to forget, Zhalia Moon. The Organisations traitor and the Foundations infamous spy." He finished, his tone now slightly colder than before.

"You have sealed your fate the moment you have decided to infiltrate the Blood Spiral Miss Moon, I hope that you are aware of that."

Zhalia felt Den and Lok who were both standing next to her tense at the Spirals words, but she remained unfazed.

It wasn't the first time that she had heard those words and neither was it the first time that she had been forced to face the consequences for her past decisions. Still, it wasn't the first time that she had decided to pointedly ignore the threats that were being send towards her either.

"If its my well being that you are concerned about , I can assure you that you aren't the first one who had said those words to me." She confidently returned, determined to not give into his empty words.

She had learned from her past mistakes and knew that these words were only empty threats that were supposed to make her feel uncomfortable, but she wasn't the Foundations spy and one of the best seekers for nothing. She knew every trick there was to make others feel uncomfortable and every technique existing to get under others skin and play tricks on their mind.

She had once used those herself in order to survive in the cold, cruel world.

The Spiral gave her a cold grin that held no kind of emotion whereas his eyes were shining in obvious delight upon hearing her answer.

"I am honored to be the one who is going to punish you for your deeds then." He spoke, and that's when it all started.

The leader of the group of Blood Spirals charged towards Zhalia whilst using Shadowspeed and the other Spirals followed his example by charging towards the other members. Before he was able to even get as much as close to Zhalia though Dante who had reacted rather quickly swiftly moved to cover her, letting loose a punch towards the Spiral.

He had already predicted Dantes move though and jumped aside just in time to avoid getting hit, landing safely on the ground a couple of meters next to them.

"Null curse! " The spell flew towards the two of them and before Zhalia was able to do as much as blink, she felt herself getting thrown to the ground with Dante covering her.

The two of them collided with the ground, creating a small thud in the process as Dante was covering her body with his own.

She refrained from grunting upon the rather harsh impact and muttered a string of curses under her breath.

"Are you okay?" She heard Dante ask from above her.

Zhalia opened her hazel eyes to meet his concerned amber ones before she gave him a reassuring nod.

Dante eyed her for another moment, knowing that even if she was hurt she wouldn't admit it before he reluctantly decided to trust in her words. For now.

He then moved from where he was placed above her and pulled her up with him, moving her behind his back our of instinct.

Zhalia used the opportunity and turned around so that the two of them were now standing back to back, each of them facing a spiral on their own while giving the other back-up.

"Give up Dante Vale, you can't possibly win in this kind of situation. You are outnumbered and cant use your titans nor powers." The Spiral called, certain that the victory was theirs.

Dante though looked anything but intimidated and instead, gave him one of his infamous challenging smirks.

"You should know that it takes a lot more to take me down." He provocatively replied before he charged towards him.

Zhalia mirrored his action and charged towards a spiral who was trying to attack Lok from the side, kicking the female in the ribs that resulted her flying back several meters.

Lok threw her a grateful glance before he dodged another spell that was being shot towards him, a thin layer of sweat covering his forehead that was glistening in the dim light that the forest provided.

The Spiral that Zhalia had just kicked was now back on its feet, anything but pleased upon having been taken by surprise.

Zhalia remained calm and faced her steadily, her hazel eyes burning with determination.

As if she was going to lose to these lousy spirals.

"Soul reaper!" her opponent called with a scowl, aiming the spell towards Zhalia who gracefully dodged it before she started to sprint towards the spiral.

As soon as she was closing in on the Spiral, she let loose a punch that the Spiral dodged.

Her opponent then tried to land a hit on her with another Null curse, but Zhalia had forseen her move and swiftly jumped into the air, kicking the other female in the temple with her heel.

"How can he move in this damn thing." Zhalia muttered incoherently, not used to the additional weight of the coat.

The spiral gasped upon feeling Zhalia's heel colliding with her temple and staggered back, holding onto her head as a wave of pain washed over her.

"How dare you!" the woman yelled furiously before she charged towards Zhalia with Shadowspeed.

The bluenette may not be able to see her expression beneath her mask, but she knew that her opponent was anything but delighted that Zhalia was able to hit her even without her powers.

She was about to jump out of her way once more but unfortunately, the Spiral had seen through Zhalia's plan and took a sharp turn to the left before she allowed her fist to collide with Zhalia's ribs.

The burning sensation upon feeling the fist hit her ribs earned a small gasp from Zhalia, the cracking sound not going unnoticed by her as well.

The air left her lungs as she felt herself getting hurled backwards, her skin still tingling because of the stinging pain before her body harshly collided with the ground. She held back the wince that dared to escape her lips at the impact before she tried to catch her breath.

It wasn't that the the attack had taken her by surprise because Zhalia had reckoned with it, but it was the spell itself that left her wondering.

It wasn't a spell that she was familiar with nor a spell that the Blood Spiral were using. She had memories each one of them beforehand already and this spell was not one of them.

It was strong but the aura that it was carrying was not that of a Blood Spiral spell. It was different and much more stronger than the spells that the Spirals were using were.

This damn spiral managed to injure her with a spell that she wasn't familiar with and now that she wasn't able to use Everheal, she had to be even more careful in order to prevent the injury from getting worse.

Her slender finger slowly moved to her right side, inching closer to the place where her shirt was starting to slowly get soaked in her own warm blood.

It didn't seem to be broken, that much she was able to tell but she knew that her blow had caused damage to her rib.

"Zhalia!" She heard Sophies warning cry in the distance, her voice barely managing to reach her ears because of the ringing sound of her adrenaline pumping through her veins.

Zhalia eyes fell onto the female seeker who was now closing in on her, another spell leaving the tips of her fingers.

She gritted her teeth and rolled over onto her stomach, hissing at the pain that was washing over her body.

Zhalia tried to ignore it as best as she could though and managed to move so that she was on her knees, one hand placed over her injury to stop the bleeding.

There would be no hope for Dantes coat. It was already strained with blood and Zhalia knew that its fate would be the garbage.

Tragic.

Zhalia took a quick look at her surroundings and noticed that the teens seemed to have a hard time themselves.

Lok was fighting two spirals at once just like Dante, whereas Sophie and Den where each occupied with one.

Sophie seemed to be doing fairly well while Den and Lok looked like they already received a couple of punches and kicks here and there.

Dante, of course, didn't seem to have gotten as much as a scratch though, not that it surprised her.

She was aware of the fact that Dante knew very well how to take care of himself even without using his powers and if it wasn't for that unexpected spell, she would have gotten out of this fight with minor injuries as well.

"Giving up already?" Came the voice of the spiral that had attacked Zhalia as it closed in on her.

Zhalia snorted. "You wish." She returned coldly before she moved to fully stand up, ignoring the pain as best as she could.

She wasn't not going to lose to that spiral, no matter what kind of tricks it would be using against her.

Zhalia was going to be prepared.

Having made up her mind, Zhalia speed towards the female and moved to kick her in the ribs, but she avoided her kick and instead grabbed her feet, pulling it towards her.

Zhalia jumped into the air and kicked her into the face with her other leg, making her opponent fall onto the ground with a groan out of pain.

Zhalia was sure that her kick had broken her nose, judging by the cracking sound it had created.

"Blood Cutter!" the spiral screamed, shooting the spell towards Zhalia from her current position on the ground, holding her now bleeding nose with the other one.

Despite of the pain, Zhalia felt the adrenaline that was running steady through her veins numbing the pain and lending her the strength she needed for her next attack.

Zhalia pulled a grimace but forced herself to keep on charging towards the spiral before she used all the strength she had left into her next strike.

She lifted her leg and her boot successfully collided with the spirals neck, a cracking sound being all that she received in return.

The there was silence. A silence that Zhalia was all too familiar with and despised with every inch of her heart; a silence that left her deaf to anything that was going on around her.

She watched how the spirals body froze in place and the last bit of life left its eyes before it went limp and fell onto the ground.

It wasn't Zhalia's first kill, back when she was still in the organization she had received plenty of missions that involved killing people, but she couldn't help but feel disgusted towards herself whenever she had the blood of someone else on her hands.

But what was done was done and there was no changing it, especially now.

Zhalia hardly bit onto her lower lips and inhaled the air deeply, trying to calm her racing heart and regaining some of her composure. She would not let it get to her and she would be damned if she were to neglect her duties because she was feeling sorry for herself.

She had a job to do and some Spirals to teach a lesson, and that was exactly what she was going to do now.

She straightened her back and pointedly brushed off the throbbing pain of her injury before she wiped the blood that was tickling down the right corner of her eye with her hand.

"Time to get it over with." She whispered determinedly, her voice drowned by the noises of the ongoing battle.

No trace of hesitance was left in her eyes as soon as she had located her next target, and that was the moment she took off towards her target.

Meanwhile, Sophie slammed her elbow into the face of her attacker before she spun around and kneed him in the stomach, earning pained groan in return.

The spiral she was currently facing held his stomach in pain before he raised an arm, his palm glowing in a black hue.

"Nullcurse!" He called and sent the spell flying towards the Casterwill. Sophie side-stepped the spell and raised her fist before she let loose the punch she had been eager to release the moment she had been attacked.

The Spiral staggered back upon the impact and even though it wasn't a hard punch, it had enough force to make her opponent fall to the ground.

Sophie however didn't leave him any time to recover and immediately proceeded by using a technique that Santiago had taught her not too long ago.

Jabbing her finger into the area of his neck, she hit a nerve that resulted the Spiral to go limp under her touch, falling unconscious within a heartbeat.

Sophie breathed a sigh out of relief and tried to calm her racing heart as her emerald eyes scanned her surroundings.

As soon as she would get back, she would increase the amount of hours she would spend on her training and focus on hand-in-hand combat in order to freshen up her rusty skills.

It was only the second Spiral that she had managed to knock out and she was already panting for air what was anything but pleasant.

She still felt dizzy from before and now that she was close to reaching the borders of exhaustion, she was growing frustrated.

She couldn't allow herself to show any weakness in front of the enemy, she was the heiress of the

Casterwill family after all and she would live up to the title no matter the circumstances. Nevertheless, it was more than annoying that the left-over Spirals were still actively trying to hinder them from completing their missions.

Sophie shook her head and run a hand over her face before she tried to make out her next target but before she was able to do so, something made her freeze in place.

A tingling sensation made itself noticeable, nagging at her senses and trying to gain her attention. It grew more and more intense with every moment that had passed and Sophie couldn't help but let out a confused huff as she tried to analyze what the reason for this sudden feeling could be.

It felt as if something was trying to gain her attention and it irked her that she wasn't able to make out what exactly it was.

Suddenly, Sophie's orbs caught a glimpse of something in the far distance, a tree that was located right next to Lok who was currently battling three Spirals on his own and at the same time.

She didn't know whether her eyes were trying to fool her or it was really there, but after she had blinked a series of times the source for her confusion was still apparent.

It seemed as if a small part of the broad tree trunk was glowing in a light tint of green and that was when Sophie finally realized what was going on.

"Can it be," She breathed, a small flicker of hope entering her emerald eyes.

Now it all made sense, the reason as to why her senses were suddenly running wild was because she unconsciously picked up the aura of a titan that seemed to be placed beneath the trunk.

Snapping back into reality, Sophie furrowed her forehead and roamed the battlefield in hope of catching a glimpse of a certain brunette seeker.

Fortunately, she caught Den's form a couple of meters east from her who was busy battling a titan with nothing but his bare hands.

"Den!" Sophie called out, hoping that he would hear her.

She watched how he rammed his shoulders into the titans chest and ducked before it was able to attack him in return before he caught her gaze, obviously confused as to why she was calling him in the middle of a battle.

"I need you to back me up!" She swiftly shouted, inwardly hoping that he would not be as dense as asking her any questions.

She didn't need the Blood Spiral to know that she had figured out where the amulet was located at because if they were to know, she was sure that the blood that would be shed was going to increase.

"Got it!" Den simply returned before he stormed past the titan and turned to that he was able to cover her back in case someone were to follow her. He didn't know what it was that Sophie was planning, but he figured that it had to be something important so he did as told without another word.

Sophie used the opportunity and started to run towards Lok, avoiding the spells that were flying towards her on her way.

"Sophie, what on earth are you doing?" Lok exclaimed confusedly, the worry that laced his voice not going unnoticed by Sophie.

The Casterwill was closing in on Lok who seemingly had a hard time managing the Spirals and Cherit trying to help him as much as possible.

As soon as Lok had noticed that she was running towards them, he had thought that she had lost her mind to go as far as running into the group of Spirals while being powerless nonetheless.

"Lok, try to stall them!" Sophie called, her eyes not leaving the three that was almost in reach.

Lok eyed her wearily but gave her a nod, returning his attention to his opponents.

Sophie had finally reached the tree by now and dropped on her knees, her palms placed on the rough and uneven surface of the tree in hope of finding the amulets location.

The tree was broad and thus it could take some time to make out it's exact place but she was confident that she would find it.

Her wide eyes were still locked onto the tree in hope of finding the light green-colored glimmer that had previously caught her eyes, but as far as she was concerned, it had disappeared so that all that served as a help was her memory.

She tried to recall where it was that she had seen it and allowed her hands to roam the tree, daring a glimpse out of the corner of her eyes to ensure that Den and Lok were being alright before she returned her attention to the task at hand.

Sophie knew that the titan was their only chance to get out of the fight without getting harmed any further. The Spirals weren't that strong, but they had the advantage of being able to use the powers and titans whereas they couldn't. On top of that, they also were outnumbered and the chances of defeating them were lessening with every moment that passed.

"Come on, come on." Sophie chanted under her breath, closing her eyes in order to focus on the energy that had called out to her mere moments ago.

It was then that a sudden wave of power overcame her, the warmth that it provided soothing her tensed muscles in an instant.

"Got you." She whispered in relief and allowed the power to take over her body, flooding her senses with the familiar warm sensation.

She was mildly surprised that the titan had allowed her to bond with it just like that and without any more complications, but then again it had shown itself to her so she concluded that it didn't seem to be as bad as the legend have claimed it to be.

The Green light then faded and as soon as Sophie opened her hand, the amulet was firmly placed on her palm.

It was beautiful, Sophie had to admit. The string was made out of leather whereas the amulet itself was an emerald stoma that looked similar to a smarackt, silver metal twirling around the glowing stone.

Sophie rose from her place and turned around to face her opponents with a triumphant smirk. Now that she was in the possession of the titan, she knew that the chances of her being able to use it were high, especially since she had just practically gotten showered with the flood of energy.

She had faith in the titan and its powers and thus, she clenched the amulet tightly in her hand and lifted it high in the air, the amulet glowing once more at Sophie's touch.

"Sophie is that-" Lok breathed in surprise as he turned his head to look over his shoulder, Den following his example.

"Come to our aid, El Tunchi!" Sophie called with her eyes closed and felt the way her skin tingled at her call and her powers were rushing through her veins, waiting to get released.

She then opened her eyes and was greeted by the sight of a warrior-like dressed titan standing in front of her, a bow and an arrow firmly in his hands.

"Way to go Sophie!" Den cheered in delight, dodging another spell that a Spiral was shooting towards him in the process.

The titan was standing upright and turned his head to have a look at his new master, obediently waiting for her command.

Sophie was not oblivious to his glance and decided to speak up. "El Tunchi, please help us defeating them." Sophie pointed towards the Blood Spirals who were either frowning or scowling by now.

The titan gave a curt nod in return before he took out his arrow and pointed it towards one of the Spirals.

"Get the titan!" The leader of the Spirals yelled. His troop who did as commanded tried to fight their way through Den and Lok while Dante and Zhalia were busy dealing with theit leader and a couple of titans themselves.

Sophie eyed her palms uncertainly before she inhaled deeply. She didn't know whether she was also able to use her spells now that she had invoked the titan, but there was only one way to find out.

"Bolt flare! " Sophie shouted over the noises at the Battle. She felt the familiar rush of energy mixed with adrenalibe running through her veins until it reached the tip of her fingers. She watched how her palm glowed a bright golden color and the spell left her hand, hitting one of the Spirals who tried to take down Cherit.

So she was able to use her powers after all.

Sophie grinned in delight. The others still werent able to use their powers and she assumed that she only was able to use hers because she bonded with the titan. It must have unlocked whatever it was that blocked her powers and now that she got them back, she was going to use them the fullest.

It didn't take long for them to take down the remaining spirals with the help from Sophie and the titan and even though theit opponents still managed to get a few hits on them, it fortunately wasnt anything lethal.

Dante kicked the last conscious Spiral in the side, knocking him out cold with a grunt before he turned to scan the now rather devasted clearing for his team members. Zhalia helped Den up while Lok was at Sophies side, trying to make sure that she was alright.

"I am fine Lok." Sophie mumbled once more, knowing that Lok wouldn't let go of the matter until he was convinced by himself first.

"Sopie you just fought against around ten Spirals by yourself, bonded with the Titan and on top of that invoked him as well!" Lok exclaimed, laying a hand on her shoulder whereas his worry filled blue eyes were firmly set on her.

"Lok is right." Came Dante's voice. Their mentor walked over to the small group and gave them a small smile. "I am proud of you Sophie. You managed all of that on your own and thats quite remarkable." He praised, taking in her exhausted features.

He knew that it drained a lot of energy and Casterwill or not, no one would last long under such circumstances. They had to get to the jet so that he would be able to inform Metz and the others about the rather unexpected turns of event on their mission while the others could take a rest.

"Thanks Dante." Sophie spoke, her voice just above a whisper due to her exhaustion.

"Oh dear, you look as pale as me!" Cherit exclaimed worried, making Lok look at Sophie.

It was true. Her face was pale and there were dark circles under her eyes, making her look like a walking zombie.

"I am fine." Sophie swiftly assured them, and Lok frowned at her words.

He knew that she was lying, but also knew that arguing with her would do no good and thus he bit his tongue.

Dante was thinking along the same lines as Lok before his eyes fell onto Den and Zhalia who were standing next to them. He quickly scanned over their forms and noticed their exhausted features, Zhalia's injury going unnoticed by him though because his coat was covering it.

As soon as he was sure that the team was mostly alright and not serously harmed, he turned back to Lok and the others.

"Let's go home team."

Lok and the others gave him simultaneously a nod before they made their way back to the jet, ignoring the Blood Spiral members that were still laying unconscious on the ground, oblivious to the teams departure and their own loss.

Lok was walking next to Sophie, an arm around her waist to support her in case her legs would give in under her weight. Sophie gave him a small smile in return, grateful for his thoughtfulness while Dante was as before leading the team with Cherit, Zhalia and Den being the last two.

At first, the team walked in silence and no one said a word, each member occupied by their own thoughts. The mission had taken a rather unexpected turn that they couldn't have possibly prepared for, but in the end they managed to get the titan even it wasn't as easy as they expected it to be.

They reached the jet without any more incidents and almost as soon as they entered, Lok and Sophie Fell into a deep slumber. They were seated next to each other and while Loks arm was still around her waiat, she was leaning her head on his shoulder, their breathing patters matching each others.

Dante had once more gone to the cockpit together with Cherit to report to Metz while Den and Zhalia were seated opposite of the sleeping couple.

Zhalia gritted her teeth as she lowered herself on her seat, a blinding pain shooting through her body that she had tried to surpress during the past hours.

She had lost a lot of blood during the fight and was having a nasty headache, but unfortunately she want able to use Everfight just yet.

She guessed that she would simply have to wait until they would leave the rain-forest and as soon as she would get her powers back the first thing she would do would be healing it. She didn't need another scar added to her collection.

She shifted slightly in her seat and moved to tighten the coat around her to properly cover the injury bit just as her fingers touched the soft fabric, a hand shot out to encircle itself around her wrist to prevent her from moving any further.

Zhalias head snapped up to see who the hand belonged to just to find herself looking inton Den's wide eyes.

She inwardly cursed herself for not having been more careful to hide it and hoped that he would ignore it but of course, fate obviously had other things in mind.

"Zhalia." Den breathed with wide eyes, his grip around her wrist tightening.

She merely avoided his gaze before she pulled her wrist out of his grip and tightened the yellow coat around herself.

"Go to sleep." She muttered under her breath, not in the mood for another argument with the young seeker. She knew that he was only concerned about her well being but she knew what she was doing. She always did.

"What the hell? " Den hissed lowly, careful not to wake up Lok and Sophie. "Zhalia you are hurt! Why didn't you tell us?" He asked, obviously hurt that she was not trusting them enough. He knew that Zhalia never was one to share her problems and preferd to deal with them on her own, but she was hurt for goodness sake!

Zhalia clenched her fists. "I am fine, no need to get you guys all worked up for a little scratch." She returned curtly, still avoiding his glare.

"Scratch? Zhalia you got a freaking hole in your chest, literally!" Den whispered harshly, pointing to the injury that was now hidden beneath the piece of cloth.

Zhalia frowned. "I told you that its nothing." She responded in whisper that held a tone of finality before she tightened her hold on the coat.

Den was openly frowning by now and even though he didn't want to do it, there was no other way. Zhalias always had this habit of putting others wellbeing before her own and he knew that if her injury wouldn't receive proper treatment soon it might even get as far as her falling unconscious.

"You know what," Den mumbled, eyeing her with a dangerous glint in his eyes as he rose from his seat. "I'm going to get Dante. Maybe he will be able to knock some sense into your stubborn head." Den muttered under his breath and just as he was about to turn around, he felt cold and slender fingers encircling themselves around his writs.

"Don't you dare taking another step Den Fears." Zhalia threatened in a hiss. The last thing she needed was Dante worrying over her and forcing her to take some pain killers or other kind of medicine. She despised those the most but knowing him, he probably wouldn't care and still force her to take them.

"Why not? Zhalia you are seriously hurt, you need to get it treated." Den whispered, his anger seemingly gone and now replaced by worry.

Zhalia sighed at the teens stubbornness and slowly released her hold on his wrist, her head leaning against the windows of the jet.

"If it gets worse, I will get myself something for the pain. Deal?" Zhalia muttered half-heartedly.

Den eyed her for another moment and guesses that it was the closest he would get Zhalia to take care of her injury and thus, hesitantly agreed.

He concluded that it was better than nothing, though he would still keep an eye on her just in case. He watched how the bluenette unconsciously tightened the coat around her shoulder as she leaned against the windows and gazed out of it and watched how the jet took off.

Now that he took a good look at her, he noticed the way her hands were slightly shaking and her creamy colored skin was paler than usual, the bruises on her face getting more prominent. Her eyes seemed rather dull and her features were obviously exhausted as well.

He hoped that she knew what she was doing because as for now, he wasn't quite sure whether she knew herself what she was currently doing.

"I hope that you know what you are doing, sis."


	5. Stitches

**A/N:** Thank you all for reviewing the past chapter. Please **review** this one as well and tell me what you think of it:) Also, there is an A/N at the end of it so please keep on reading until the end!

* * *

 **CHAPTER 5**

 _The Foundation Jet_

 _10PM_

It was only a matter of minutes until they would reach Venice and Lok and Sophie were both awake by now. Sophie was scanning El Tunchi's amulet on her Cypherdex, absorbing the information her electronic device provided whereas Den and Zhalia were silently talking to each other.

Lok, though, remained unusually quiet and looked out of the small window of the Foundation jet.

It just seemed like a lot of things were happening all at once but unfortunately, he still didn't find out anything about his father's current whereabouts.

He knew that he was in Huntik, that much they had found out already, but some time had passed since they were able to contact him and Lok couldn't help but feel disappointed.

What if he was waiting for Lok to find him? What if he was counting on him to find a way to get him out? What if something happened to him in Huntik?

These and a lot of similar questions were running through his mind, making him feel as if he was suffocating.

He felt as if he had neglected his father and the mere thought of him still being alive made his heart beat at a painful rate.

Lok was his only chance to get out of Huntik or survive in the first place and yet, he didn't do anything to figure out a way as to how to find his father.

As a seeker, he was aware of his duties and that there was very little they could do until they would find another Nexus, and the journal wasn't that much of a great help anymore either.

The Foundation was also working on it but as for now, they unfortunately weren't able to find out much either.

He had re-read it a countless amount of times up to the point where every paragraph and every single word was deeply imprinted in his mind.

With every day passing, he more and more felt like a failure.

Whether he liked to admit it or not, his family was slowly falling apart in front of his very own eyes and if he wouldn't find a way to get his father back soon, he knew that the Foundation would also lose their hope in finding Eathon.

Lok didn't see his mother and Cathy ever since the fight against the betrayer because he had been quite busy himself, and now that Dante was living in New York and the team was on hiatus for the past two month it had felt like his second family was breaking apart as well.

He wouldn't allow it to happen a second time.

Lok felt the shift in the air and knew that the plane was now about to land. He blinked twice, Den's sigh jerking him out of his musings.

Zhalia straightened as well and for a moment, Lok thought that he saw her wince but he quickly brushed it off and blamed his tired eyes for playing tricks on him.

Sophie closed her Cypherdex and put it into her backpack together with the amulet.

They were able to use their powers by now, Lok had tried to do so out of boredom and surprisingly succeeded but unfortunately, Zhalia was too exhausted to heal herself yet.

Den gave her a couple of worried glances out of the corner of his eyes every now and then to make sure that she was doing as well as someone could in her situation.

"So guys, we completed our mission." Lok sighed, throwing the team a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

"Seems like it." Den returned in a mumble, his expression holding mild disappointment.

Even though the mission was tiring, he couldn't say that he didn't enjoy himself even if it was only for a couple of hours.

He had missed the teams closure and knew that as soon as they would leave this plane it all would be just like before the mission.

"I know that it sounds girly so don't get me wrong," Lok started and a small, hopeful smile followed right after his words. "But what about a sleepover? We all could catch up and you know, spend some time together."

Zhalia eyed the blonde closely, noting the way his blue eyes were filled with pure hope and she felt like kicking herself.

She didn't have anything against Lok's suggestion, but she knew that thanks to her carelessness she would unfortunately have to reject his offer.

"Lok is right." Sophie chimed in, pleasantly surprised by Lok's suggestion. "The mansion is big enough after all, and maybe Dante will join us as well."

Silence followed Sophie's words and the couple looked excitingly at Den and Zhalia who were looking rather uncomfortable by now.

"I'm sorry guys, but I don't think that me and Zhalia are going to make it." spoke Den as he shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

It seemed as if the hope that filled Lok's eyes a mere moment ago shattered like glass in front of their very own eyes, and Zhalia couldn't help but avert her gaze from his hurt one.

Lok gave them a sad smile. "I understand." He assured them, but Den knew that Lok just tried to prevent them from feeling guilty. This boy seriously was too goodhearted for his own good, but it was the way he was and a part of him, a part that they all had come to appreciate.

"How about the day after tomorrow though?" Den suddenly inquired, a small smile on his lips. He guessed that Zhalia would be alright by then so there would be no harm by spending some time with their teammates just like they used to in the good old days.

Lok pondered for a moment, mentally checking if there were any appointments in the Foundation HQ's that he had to attend or any kind of meetings before he gave Den and Zhalia a small beam.

"Sure thing!" He agreed, the tense atmosphere completely disappearing within the split of a second.

Sometimes Lok was having worse mood-swings than a pregnant woman.

The jet landed shortly after and the team grabbed their rather petite luggage, descending the plane to see Dante already standing there with Cherit seated on his shoulder.

The air in Venice was rather chilly and it was already dark, the sky covered in a blue color whereas the only thing that served as a source of light were the bright lights that the airport offered.

"I hope that you were having a pleasant flight." Dante spoke, his hands tucked in the pockets of his trousers.

Lok and Den both simultaneously gave him a thumbs up and Sophie merely smiled at him in return.

To the others, it was a normal question but Zhalia knew better. The mission was over so there was no reason for him to stall them for whatever reason he had. She let her eyes rest on his Form for a moment longer and it was then that she noticed something.

The absence of his luggage. It was then that the realization hit Zhalia like a ton of bricks and she couldn't help but feel the sudden bitterness that was running through her veins.

He was going to leave them again.

"What are we waiting for though?" Den yammered. "I could really need some sleep so let's go guys." Den was about turn around and start to walk away, expecting the others to follow but Zhalia voice made him pause.

"You're leaving again."

It wasn't a question and rather, a statement that left the rest of the teams watch her in confusion.

Zhalia face was expressionless and the coldness in her voice was clearly audible to everyone present as well.

She caught Dante gaze with her own hard one , watching smile faltering the slightest as the corners of his lips now slowly curling downwards.

"What are you talking about?" Sophie asked puzzled, eyeing Zhalia with furrowed brows.

Silence followed after Sophie question and Zhalia felt a wave of disappointment towards the auburn haired seeker rush over her all of sudden.

He may have tried to fool the others but Zhalia knew better than to believe into everything she was being told.

"She is right." Dante commented calmly, not breaking their gaze.

He tried to make out any trace of emotion in her eyes but much to his dismay, there was nothing. She put on her cold facade, something that she always used to do when she didn't want anyone to read her eyes like he had always used to do.

He didn't like it one bit.

Den remained silent at his mentors words, already knowing what was coming next. He as well had anticipated it but he hoped that he was wrong.

Lok merely looked at Dante in a slightly sad way, knowing that there was nothing he could do other than accepting the reality.

Dante now was a member of the council and he didn't live in Venice anymore either, so there was nothing that would keep him here.

"Metz needs me in New York. I need to take care of some business so I have to leave right away." He firmly explained, his voice undoubtedly that of a professional.

"When will be the next time we'll see each other?" Sophie inquired softly, clearly disappointed that he had to leave this soon.

Date remained silent for another moment before he exhaled deeply. The truth was that he didn't quite now himself, it depended on how long Metz would need his assistance and what the council had in mind or well, had planned.

"Soon." He eventually responded. His eyes then fell onto Zhalia who's expression still didn't change, and her words abruptly echoed in his mind.

 _"Only time will tell."_

He wouldn't go back on his word, he meant what he said back in the jet and was personally going to make sure that everything would turn back to the way it used to be. Even though it may seem like nothing was going to change since he was going to leave them once again, he would keep his word. He owed the team that much.

"I'll be back."

Zhalia tried her best to keep her mask firmly in place, suppressing the sigh that dared to escape her upon hearing his words.

That's what he had told her before already, but she wasn't quite sure whether he was going to be able to keep his word. It may not even be in his power to decide when it was suitable to leave or not because he held a great deal of responsibility and duties as a member of the Foundation Council. Zhalia had told him what her thoughts regarding the current situation the team was in were, so all she could do was to wait and see.

A sudden pang in her ribs gained her attention and she gritted her teeth out of annoyance. She had almost forgotten about her injury and even though it was still rather painful, she was starting to feel dizzy due to the blood loss.

Luckily, no one but her seemed to have noticed though and thus, she tightened her hold around the coat and gave Dante a small curt nod before she turned over to Den.

"Let's go." She muttered under her breath, and he luckily seemed to have caught her underlining message.

He blinked once before he straightened his back and gave Dante a small farewell salute. He was confident that Dante would be back soon, even if only temporarily.

"See you later then!" He called before he rather hastily followed Zhalia who was a few steps ahead already.

"Damn Zhaal, I almost forgot about it! Why didn't you say anything sooner?" Den scolded lightly before he wrapped his arm around her waist as soon as they were out of sight.

The bluenette allowed herself to lightly lean against him, silently appreciating his support as they hurried to their flat.

She tried to free her mind from any thoughts that would exhaust her further and inhaled rather shakily before she heard Den's voice next to her.

"I could simply use Everheal" Den reminded her as they were walking through the deserted streets of Venice whilst keeping his grip on Zhalia.

"You can barely walk straight on your own." Zhalia snorted. "I will be fine- a little rest is all I need." She assured him, biting on her tongue to prevent the string of curses that bubbled up her throat to escape her lips.

She knew that she was anything but fine and the day that she would admit that she wasn't feeling well would be the day she would break, and this was not going to happen as long as she was alive. Unfortunately for her though, she had lost way too much blood and the wound seemed to be rather deep as well so that it could take some time for it to heal without using seeker magic.

That meant that she could practically do nothing until her exhaustion would pass and she would be able to heal herself.

Her and Den reached their apartment rather fast, Den unlocking the door with a bit of fiddling with the lock before the door finally opened.

He turned on the light and the two of them immediately proceeded by walking towards her room, Zhalia dropping the in blood-covered coat somewhere on their way.

As soon as they reached her room, she sat down on the edge of her bed. She heard Den wince at the sight of her bloody shirt and took a look for herself. She had to admit that it really wasn't a pleasant sight and Zhalia had seen _really_ bad one's already.

She wasn't too keen on finding out what the damage looked like beneath her shirt and only hoped that it wouldn't become scarred, she really didn't need another ugly reminder of her stupidity.

Den turned to move and went over to the bathroom, rummaging through the items that were placed the different kind of cupboards and drawers in hope of finding anything useful.

Luckily, he managed to discover a small first-aid kit that was placed rather hidden in one of the drawers and took it out with a triumphant huff.

"Got it!" He called from the bathroom before he rushed back into her room where he saw Zhalia leaning with her head against her hands.

A huge headache was slowly making itself noticeable and the painful throbbing of the wound wasn't helping any to lessen her pain either.

She glanced up upon hearing Denis call and eyed the little first aid kit in his hands wearily.

"Thanks." She mumbled and took the kit from his hand. "I will manage on my own now so you can go to sleep, I'll be fine." the bluenette assured him as she tried to keep her voice as stable as possible.

Den narrowed his eyes at her words and crossed his arms above his chest, wondering what in the world made her think that she would get rid of him that easily.

"As if I could sleep knowing that you are practically bleeding to death." He shook his head.

Zhalia was about to protest and opened her mouth, but Den cut her off.

"Come on, let's fix you up so that we both can take a good nice sleep." He drawled, followed by a rather fake sigh as he reached out to grab the first-aid kit in order to have a look at it.

He didn't see the pillow coming though.

It hit him square in the face before it limply fell onto the floor, shooting Zhalia a surprised look which she simply brushed off by innocently rummaging through the items the kit provided herself.

It took around half an hour until they managed to stop the bleeding and put a bandage on, but eventually they succeeded.

Zhalia couldn't say that it hurt any less because the painful burning sensation was still present, but she was feeling way more comfortable by now and at least didn't have to worry about leaving a blood trail through her entire flat now.

"Here, take this." Den handed her a glass filled with water and a small pill that he had just fetched from the kitchen, which Zhalia gratefully accepted.

During her time as a seeker, painkillers have become a rather important part of her life already. She used to despise any kind of medicine and she still does, but she had reluctantly come to accept the pain-killers even though it was hard at first.

She put the small pill into her mouth and ignored the bitter taste that it left in her mouth as she took a big gulp of water right after doing so.

She put the glass back onto her nightstand and run a hand over her face, her vision slowly becoming blurry out of exhaustion.

It's been a very tiring day for all of them and Den didn't look quite awake either.

"Go to sleep Zhalia." Den mumbled as he helped her to lay down on her bed, swiftly covering her with the blanket despite of her weak protests.

"Want a bedtime story as well?" He teasingly asked, earning a glare that he was sure had killed some people already from Zhalia.

He shook his head, clearly amused before made his way out of the room, turning off the lights in the process.

"Night Zhalia." He called softly and closed the door behind himself.

Luckily, the pill swiftly did it's job and almost as soon as he had closed the door did the darkness and exhaustion lull Zhalia into a deep and painless slumber.

 _The next Morning_

 _2PM_

Zhalia sighed out of irritation as she reluctantly opened her eyes, squinting them upon being greeted by the sunlight that was shining through her window.

It took some time for her vision to clear and the fact that the headache from the previous night was still ever so present didn't make it any more pleasant. Her head was throbbing dully and her injury was making it hard for her to move, leaving her almost immobilized.

What was even worse than all of that though was the shrill peeping sound that reached her ears and seemed to be coming from the living room.

Whatever it was that created this torturous sound to her ears was the reason that Zhalia woke up. She was a very light sleeper so that even whilst being asleep, she unconsciously noticed everything that was going on around her. As a seeker and spy, being a heavy sleeper wasn't an option because they had to be alerted and ready for the unexpected anytime and anywhere.

In this business, no one was truly safe.

She blindly reached out towards her nightstand and grabbed her Holotome, looking if anything had happened while she was asleep.

Zhalia didn't know how long she had been sleeping but judging by the noise that was coming from outside, she assumed that it was rather long.

She narrowed her eyes and forced herself to sit upright, the Holotome firmly placed on her Lap as she opened it.

"4 Missed calls from Metz?" She mumbled, wondering why he would call her when Dante was supposed to be there with him already.

Accepting her fate ever so wearily, Zhalia closed her Holotome and put it aside as she pushed the sheets off of her.

She then stood up and it was only then that she noticed the soreness of her body, much to her dismay.

Today was most definitely _not_ going to be her day.

The peeping sound went off again and Zhalia couldn't help but roll her eyes out of annoyance.

She knew that it was most likely going to be Metz and even though he had gained Zhalia's respect, this guy was even more persistent and stubborn than her and Dante put together if he wanted to.

And where the hell was Den anyways?

She limped out of the room and gasped lightly as she almost stumbled over something as soon as she was about to turn the corner. She managed to regain her balance in the last minute though and looked startled down just to breathe a sigh out of relief.

Staring innocently back at her was none other than Gareon, and she couldn't help but feel relieved upon seeing him.

Her gaze softened and she gave him a small smile before she carefully bent down to pat him, a small sense of security engulfing her.

"Hey there old friend." She mumbled affably, watching in satisfaction how he leaned into her touch.

He gave her a low rumble out of pleasure before he crawled up Zhalia's arm and seated himself onto Zhalia's shoulder.

"I missed you." She whispered with a sigh and enjoyed the soothing effect his mere presence was having on her.

She then proceeded to walk towards the living room and with every step she was taking it felt as if her wound was tearing open anew, and that was anything but a pleasant feeling.

"I'm coming, what's with the damn hurry?" She muttered irritated, trying to block out the piercing noise in her ears. Gareon gave a low grumble out of agreement before she eventually managed to reach the living-room with more effort than she had thought she would need.

She turned to look at the screen that was blinking. INCOMING CALL was written across the screen in bold letters and Zhalia sighed before she took place on the armchair.

Attached to a lower part of screen was a small note that caught her eye and upon taking a closer look at it, she recognized Dens surprisingly neat handwriting on it.

It turned out that he wasn't asleep and instead was out to take care of some business at the Foundation HQ, not quite knowing himself why they suddenly needed him.

Zhalia exhaled heavily and massaged her temples before she grabbed the remote and accepted the call, the deafening noise fading into silence.

Sure enough, Metz face appeared on the screen and to her surprise he was looking rather worried as well.

"Zhalia! What took you so-" He started, but stopped in mid sentence as he took in her exhausted form.

She looked as if she didn't get a wink of sleep, what would explain her not picking up his calls any sooner, and seemed pretty exhausted as well.

He couldn't remember the last time he had seen her this drained.

"Oh dear, what happened to you?" He exclaimed, his voice a mixture of surprise and a small hint of worry.

Zhalia merely patted Gareon and tried to put on a firm smile. "It's nothing, I just didn't get much sleep." She quickly assured, inwardly hoping that he would just let the matter rest.

She watched how Metz frowned and couldn't help but notice the resemblance between him and Dante, demeanor wise.

"And how do you explain the bloody coat over there that looks like the one Dante always wears then?" He inquired seriously, and Zhalia froze for the split of a second.

She turned her head to the left and indeed, there on the ground was the coat she had worn yesterday, still covered in dried blood and laying forgotten in the middle of the floor.

" _Way to go Zhalia"_ She mentally groaned and felt how Gareon tried to comfort her through their Powerbond.

She knew that Metz wouldn't let her live that one down.

Zhalia turned back to the screen and tried to seem as indifferent as possible about it, knowing that if she were to give in he would only question her further about it.

"There were some complications on the mission, but minor ones so there is no need to worry Metz." She muttered after a moment of silence, biting the inside of her cheek right after out of habit.

Metz expression softened after some moments and his eyes filled with pure concern for the female seeker.

He knew that arguing with her regarding that matter would do no good though as so he decided to let the matter rest, for _now_.

"If you say so." He sighed. "Well, the reason as to why I was calling you in the first place is that Montehue is due to arrive anytime now and he required your assistance at the HQ." He informed, eyeing her ever so attentively.

"Though, I think that it would be a better idea to ask Lok and Sophie so that you can take a day off and rest." He added as an afterthought.

Zhalia narrowed her eyes at his words and as he had expected, immediately reacted.

"I'll go." She declared without hesitation, Gareon growling out of agreement.

As if she would let a small injury such as this get between her and work.

She wasn't Zhalia Moon for nothing and had a reputation to live up to after all.

Metz gave a small throaty chuckle at her rather rash answer and shook his head at her response, obviously amused.

"I won't be able to stop you from doing so anyways." He concluded in a surrendering matter and Zhalia gave him a small smirk in return.

"Exactly."

At least he seemed to understand her. Silence followed right after and Metz expression slowly turned back into his former serious one.

"Don't overwork yourself Zhalia." He told her sternly. "I don't want to personally fly over and drag you out of the HQ myself."

Zhalia half heartedly rolled her eyes before she gave him a firm nod, knowing that he would probably do exactly that if she were to disobey his orders.

She inwardly appreciated it though and couldn't help but feel grateful towards him.

He was the one who had defended her against the council after her betrayal and made it possible for her to join the Foundation in the first place. Also, he had also come to be as much as a father figure as Klaus had once been to her, even if she didn't realize it at first.

"Alright then. Send the others my regards."

And with that, the screen turned off.

Metz closed his Holotome and exhaled deeply, his eyes turning to look at the clock that was hanging on the wall of his office.

Dante was due to arrive any moment now but he was still bothered by the talk he and Zhalia just had.

As he had talked to Dante back in the jet as they were on their way back to Venice, Dante had told him that no one was seriously injured and that they were only tired. He concluded that Dante himself wasn't aware of his teams condition so he couldn't possibly blame the poor boy either.

He knew that Zhalia never liked to admit whenever she was hurt, but even a blind person would notice that she wasn't doing well so it was still slightly strange.

A knock on the wooden door of his office cut through his thoughts, and Metz straightened in his seat before he cleared his throat.

"Come in." He called, watching how the door opened and his protégée walked into the office.

"Hello Metz." Dante greeted his mentor with a delighted smile, which the latter returned without any hesitation.

"Dante." He acknowledged. "Have a seat my boy."

Dante did as told and lowered himself onto the empty chair. Metz intertwined his hands and pointedly eyed his student who in return seemed mildly confused. Dante felt like he was in the principals office and was going to get scolded after he did something wrong but as far as he concerned, the mission was a success so he didn't know what exactly was going on in his mentors head.

He had arrived in New York around three hours ago and used the time he and left to catch some sleep before he took off to meet Metz.

"How was your mission?" Metz suddenly inquired with an amiable smile, a small glint of something in his eyes that just confirmed Dante's suspicions. Something was up with him.

Dante lifted an eyebrow at his mentors question and leaned his elbow onto the chairs armrest.

"I thought I already told you on my way back." Dante replied, slightly puzzled..

Metz gave him a confirming nod.

"You did, but now I want to know what _happened_." He clarified, eyes solidly fixed on Dante.

The auburn haired seeker narrowed his eyes, returning Metz's gaze with his amber eyes filled with confusion. His mentor was up to something and seemingly wanted to hear something specific, but Dante didn't know what it was.

"Metz, why don't you just tell me what you want to hear?" Dante inquired with a sigh, obviously not catching on.

Metz remained silent for another moment before he leaned back in his seat, his lips now pursed.

So he really didn't know after all.

 _Interesting indeed._

"I just talked to Zhalia." He began, and Dante's frown immediately hardened upon the mentioning of her name.

Whatever it was that Metz was worked up about seemed to be something regarding Zhalia, much to his worry and confusion.

Metz watched his former student closely and noticed that he tried to remain as professional as possible, but he had practically raised this kid and was able to look past his mask. He noticed the way his back straightened slightly and his lips were pursed in a thin line.

"Dante, she looked like a walking mess. The coat that I assume you have given her on the mission was covered in dried blood." Metz informed him tersely and watched how his former student froze in his seat.

Dante had just seen her a couple of hours ago and even though she seemed to be tired, there was no sign of her being injured.

How could he have possibly missed it?

"Metz, it's not the time for jokes." Dante responded in a low tone, trying to keep his voice as professional as possible.

Of course he believed his mentors words, but he couldn't help but wonder whether he was exaggerating again or not.

"Unfortunately, I am not joking Dante." Metz returned with a sigh. "I just thought that you should know, since she is a member of your team after all."

Dante remained silent, inwardly going back to the moment outside of the plane. She looked quite exhausted and now that he thought about it, she did seem to tighten the coat around her, but he thought it was because she was being cold and not because she was trying to hide an injury.

The mere fact that she _did_ hide something like this from him though was proof enough that she didn't trust him the way that she used to and it was enough to make his heart clench the slightest.

As a team-leader, it was his duty to ensure the teams safety and now that one of them was hurt and didn't even tell him, he felt as if he had failed.

"I have to go back."

The corner of Metz's mouth turned upwards upon hearing his students words, having already expected them the moment he had entered his office.

The German council member knew that Dante loved being a seeker and that even though his position in the council was a clear enrichment, he simply wasn't made for the office life. His team had always been Dante's first priority and in fact, Dante hadn't officially joined the council just yet due to the renovations and loads of work after the fight against the betrayer.

"I know and I understand, your team needs you." Metz calmly returned. "Just keep in mind that the spot in the council is always going to be available in case you change your mind though."

Dante gave his mentor a grateful smile, glad that he was understanding and didn't seem to mind him leaving at all.

He knew what he had to do and where he had to be and for the first time after the past two rather tiring and nerve-wrecking months, Dante finally felt like he was doing the right thing.

"Thank you Metz." Dante breathed softly, giving his mentor a genuine smile.

Said male in return merely waved his hand as a matter to brush it off and mirrored Dante's smile. "It's the least I can do for you my boy, I don't want you to share the same fate as me."

Dante chuckled at Metz words before he rose from his seat, Metz following suit. He was proud of Dante, no question, just like he was no fool and noticed that he as well had missed the team even though he tried his best not to let it get to him.

It was his life and up to him how he wanted to live it, and as his mentor just like father figure he was happy if Dante was.

"It was good seeing you again Metz." Dante spoke amicably, extending his hand towards Metz who took his hand in a firm grip and shook it with a broad smile.

"Take care of yourself my boy, and visit me whenever you got the chance, alright? It gets quite boring over here." He muttered under his breath.

Dante couldn't help but smirk upon hearing his mentors worth and gave him a firm nod before he turned to leave the office. He opened the door and was about to take a step out of the room, but Metz suddenly spoke up, his voice making him pause.

"Oh and I almost forgot!" He exclaimed, his lips forming into a smug smile. "Your friend Montehue is in town and required Zhalia's help in the HQ." He informed his protegee as he sat down on his chair. He then looked up in hope of catching a glimpse of Dante's expression but to his surprise, he was gone already.

"Well that was fast."

* * *

 **-IMPORTANT-**

 **A/N:** Dante finally did what was certainly overdue and in the next chapter we are going to see Montehue!

It's been five chapters already but it's only the beginning of what is yet to come so stay tuned friends:)

As always, please **review.** Your reviews always motivate me and you can always talk to me as well, there is no need to be shy so just PM me:) I remember "stalking" other authors and their stories without reviewing because I was too shy until I eventually found the courage to do so and it lead me to where I currently am. I don't regret it so if you want to publish a story or simply a One-Shot, do so bcause I believe that you won't regret it either!

Please support the **other authors** in the Huntik Fandom as well because we all are trying out best to keep this Fandom as alive as possible and I am really grateful to the one's who have stayed up til now and the people who may join us in the future.

Thanks to everyone who keeps on reviewing and reading my/our stories, your love and support is appreciated:)


	6. Spiral Mark

A/N: Thanks for reviewing the past chapter, I hope that you're going to like this one as well. Please review this one as well.

 **CHAPTER 6**

 _3PM_

Zhalia entered the Foundation Headquarters around half an hour later.

As soon as Metz had ended the call, she decided not to waste any time and went back to her room together with Gareon and changed into her usual attire.

Afterwards, she had used ever-heal and even though it took longer and had drained much more energy that she had expected it to, Zhalia managed to heal the injury in the end. Her body still felt sore and the burning sensation didn't fade right away, but at least she was able to properly walk in comparison to before.

Fortunately, the Foundation Headquarters seemed to be less crowded than they usually were and yet, she couldn't help but feel several gazes following her every move.

It wasn't like it had never happened before because in fact, it did every time she took steps into one of the Foundations buildings.

She would either receive wary looks from some of the seekers that were obviously still doubting the councils decision upon accepting someone as her into the Foundation, or looks out of admiration upon seeing the infamous Zhalia Moon in person, the one who was lucky enough to be in the Foundations strongest and most successful team.

She pointedly ignored them and stepped into the empty elevator before she pressed the button of the floor she needed to get to and watched how the metal doors slowly shut close.

The Foundation Headquarter in Venice was one of the biggest ones there were after the ones in both Manhattan and New York. It was a rather tall building that provided various floors for different uses, but it wasn't that much of an eye catcher either.

The upper floors were always used as offices and conference rooms, no matter which HQ you were going to pay a visit to. Below the office floor was the floor where the library and archive were located at, the two of them right next to each other.

Only the Top seekers were allowed to enter the archive and without having received permission by either Metz, Guggenheim or the other council members even they weren't allowed to do so.

The archive both held amulets that the seekers have retrieved on their missions and and confidential files so the safety measures were especially high on this floor.

Next to the room of the archive was the Foundation library.

To most it was like a huge maze and because of that not many visited it, but the seekers that were interested in the History of the Titans, seekers and spells considered it a paradise on earth. There were thousands of bookshelves filled with the most valuable books that have ever existed.

Below the archive were the sleeping quarters. It consisted of a rather large common room, a small kitchen and a large amount of rooms where seekers were able to rest after a mission.

If a seeker were to take a mission in Spain for example but lived in Norway, they could go to the Headquarters in Spain to rest after the mission before their flight were to arrive.

Also, Seekers that have just been introduced to the world of titans or didn't have a place to stay on their own were able to permanently move into one of the rooms.

The ground floor was the one that was quite crowded most of the time. Seekers were either returning from their missions, came to train or rushed through the hall because they were late to a meeting or an appointment. It was like the reception in hotels, per say. It was the center of the building and only the people with a valid ID were able to enter the building in the first place.

Last but not least, the gyms. There were a couple of gyms located in the basement just like a series of empty halls where the seekers were able to either work out or battle one another to test their progress. Many people were using them because this way they were able to improve both their skills as a seeker and grew more familiar by summoning their titans.

Zhalia was told to meet Montehue in the library, so it took some time until the elevator reached the floor.

After a couple of more moments, a soft 'ping' signalized Zhalia that she had reached her destination and as soon as the doors opened, she descended her way out of the elevator.

Zhalia then walked through the empty hallway, her heels producing a clacking sound that echoed through the floor until she had reached the glass door that lead to the library.

She pushed the rather heavy doors open and entered the library, instantly getting engulfed by the thick silence and smell of books as the door fell close behind her.

The library itself was established rather plainly, the white walls and huge wooden bookshelves giving of a rather dull impression.

Zhalia's mocha eyes started to scan the library in hope of catching a glimpse of Montehue or his apprentice but unfortunately, he wasn't anywhere in sight.

She slowly made her way through the tall shelves and lazily allowed her eyes to roam the different kind of books that the Foundation provided.

Zhalia wasn't that much of a book worm as Sophie was, but she as well held some interest in books. Back in her organization days, she spend most of her free-time either reading or training, so she had a rather great knowledge regarding historic events and most myths and legends as well.

She, in comparison to her strawberry-blonde haired teammate, didn't feel the need to show off with her knowledge in order to impress the others though.

A couple of minutes later, she spied Montehue through a narrow passage of the bookshelves and resisted the urge of snorting at the sight that greeted her.

He was sitting at one of the table's of the library, his feet on the table and his arms crossed above his chest, head tilted to the sight and eyes closed.

Tersely was sitting next to him, absorbed in the book he was currently reading and obviously unaware of being watched by the raven-haired female.

Zhalia soundlessly made her way towards the table and watched in amusement how neither the sleeping Montehue nor Tersly noticed her presence.

She was good at what she was doing, being a spy she knew how to sneak around without producing a sound but as a seeker you also had to prepared wherever you were. There was no place where you were safe from danger.

Zhalia was now standing at the opposite side of the table and crossed her arms before she cleared her throat.

Tersely jumped in his seat upon the noise and his head snapped upwards, clearly startled as his now wide eyes fell on Zhalia.

"M-Miss Moon!" He exclaimed in a stammer, clearly not having expected her just yet. He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and straightened his back, hastily closing the book he was reading afterwards.

Zhalia's brown eyes were filled with obvious amusement upon receiving the anticipated reaction, a small smirk tugging at the corner of her lips.

"Tersly." She acknowledged with a nod, shifting her weight onto her left food. Her eyes then fell onto the sleeping form of Montehue and she raised an eyebrow before she returned her gaze to Tersly.

The ginger haired seeker gave her a nervous smile before he lowered his gaze, peeking at her from under his bangs.

"Please, have a seat." He offered nervously, relaxing as he watched how she accepted his offer and slid into the seat opposite of them.

"Since when is he asleep?" Zhalia inquired mildly curious. She always knew that Montehue wasn't that much of a book lover but she didn't expect him to fall asleep in a library, especially since he was the one who decided to meet up with her in one.

"U-Uh around twenty minutes, more or less." Tersly eventually returned, taking an uncertain peek at the older seeker. "I should probably wake him."

Tersly shifted in his seat and was about to shake the older seeker awake, but the hand that Zhalia lifted made him halt in place.

"There is no need to," She started reassuringly. "I will do it."

Tersly curiously watched how Zhalia took the rather thick book he had just read and held it above the table before she loosened her grip on it and allowed the book to hit the surface with a loud thud that echoed through the entire library.

Montehue startled awake and straightened in his seat, almost losing balance before he managed to regain it, eyes open wide.

"Where's the enemy?" He asked half-asleep, scanning the library confusedly before his eyes fell onto a smirking Zhalia who innocently eyed him.

"Right in front of you." Zhalia returned curtly, examining her nails indifferently as she leaned back in her chair and threw one slender leg over her other.

It took Montehue a moment to process what was happening before he slumped his shoulder with a sigh, a low chuckle following right after.

"Well if I were to were to wake up in the presence of a beautiful enemy such as you, I don't think that I would mind getting attacked at all." He smugly returned, lowering his legs from the table as a yawn escaped his lips.

Zhalia snorted at his words as she rolled her eyes, throwing him an indifferent glance. Montehue never ceased to entertain her with his rather blunt statements.

"You should know by now that your flatteries aren't working on me." Zhalia returned, eyeing him with a tilt of her head as she leaned her chin on her palm, elbow resting on the table.

Montehue shrugged innocently and gave her an amused look as he crossed his arms above his broad chest.

"Sooner or later, they will." He told her confidently, earning a scoff from Zhalia.

She decided not to comment and to leave him in his beliefs, knowing that there was no point in arguing with Montehue regarding a topic such as this one.

Tersly was awkwardly seated next to his teammate, not quite knowing what to do or what to say in a situation like this and decided to remain silent.

"Well, what do you need help with?" Zhalia asked, changing the topic to the reason why she was there with them in the first place.

Montehue in return gave a low laugh at her blunt question. He knew that Zhalia wasn't one to beat around the bush and always wanted to get straight to the topic or task at hand.

He had come to take a great liking of her due to her rather interesting character and liked to consider himself a friend of hers.

"Straight to business, huh?" He commented, watching how she lifted an eyebrow at his statement.

"Is there anything else we are supposed to talk about?" She inquired, confused as to what the male was up to.

"Not really." Monethue admitted with a slump of his shoulders. "I heard that you guys just returned from a mission." He started conversationally, a hint of curiosity audible in his tone.

"Yes." Zhalia confirmed, inwardly wondering what their mission had to do with the problem that he needed help with.

Montehue gave a small hum in return. "Did Dante go with you?" He then inquired, noticing the way Zhalia's eyes narrowed for the split of a second.

"He was." She stated cautiously, calculating hazel eyes now holding his gaze. She didn't know what he wanted to get out of her or why he needed her assistance, but she for a fact knew that Montehue wanted to get information from her. What about, that she wasn't sure just yet though.

"Is he back in New York already?" He asked with a tilt of his head, and Zhalia gave him a hesitant nod in return.

Montehue scoffed at his childhood friend and rivals foolish behavior. He muttered an inaudible idiot under his breath, but Zhalia's keen ears caught his comment.

She lifted a brow as soon as it reached her ears, but decided not to comment on that and instead wait.

"Did you run into any spirals on your way?" Montehue then inquired, his expression turning serious.

Zhalia frowned at his question and silently eyed him for a moment before she straightened her back and gave him a firm nod.

"We did, and they weren't what you would call a small group either." She informed him grimly, and Montehue sighed at her words.

He wasn't surprised, to say at last, but it still wasn't a pleasant piece of information either. Word had reached Montehue that the infamous Huntik team had received their first mission ever since the defeat of the Blood Spiral. He and Tersly had returned from their own mission a couple of days ago and after having had a rather not so pleasant run in with some spirals, he was wondering whether the Huntik team had an encounter with them as well.

"The reason as to why I called you here is because me and Tersly have made a rather unsettling discovery on our latest mission." He informed her, his gaze firmly set on her.

Zhalia furrowed her forehead in mild confusion. If his words were to be true, it was something that he should be reporting to the Foundation Council and not her. She also knew that Montehue was aware of this as well and that if he decided to come to seek for her opinion regarding whatever it was that had happened first, it had to be something serious.

"I am listening." She returned curtly and noticed the way Montehue seemed to relax at her words.

He gave her a small grateful smile before he he gave Tersly a small look out of the corner of his eye.

"Me and Tersly went on a mission and arrived just as you have left for yours. We run into some spirals on our way, but the moment these idiots arrived I noticed that something was off with them." He started, and Zhalia couldn't help but think back to the mission when she had felt the exact same thing.

Now that Montehue had noticed that there was something off with them, her suspicions have gotten confirmed.

"I noticed as well." Zhalia muttered under her breath, followed by a tired sigh. That certainly were no good news and she just knew that there was trouble up ahead.

"They have gotten stronger, what doesn't make any sense considering that the betrayer is gone. So there only is one way left." Montehue mumbled with a frown, and the temperature around them seemed to have palpably dropped.

"The Spiral Mark is still active." Zhalia concluded grimly and she felt a shiver running down her spine.

If the Spiral Mark still was active and the Blood Spirals were starting to target the Foundation once more, history was bound to repeat itself.

Silence engulfed the three seekers. They all knew that they have been lucky the last time they have fought against the betrayer and the Spirals. Dante had sacrificed himself in order to destroy the Red Comet and many other seekers have lost their lives in the battle. The Foundation couldn't afford loosing any more seekers and neither could Zhalia infiltrate the Spiral for a second time since they obviously knew about her.

"How is that possible though?" Zhalia spoke after a while, seemingly frustrated. "Who could have possibly have activated it again? It takes a lot of power to do so."

Montehue helplessly shook his head , not having an answer to her question either. It was beyond frustrating and if it really was the case and the Spiral was going to return with a new leader, things were not looking good for the Foundation, not to mention the entire world in the first place.

"A-Are we going to inform the Council?" This time it was Tersly who spoke up, and both Montehue and Zhalia's gazes fell onto him.

He did have a point. The Foundation had to know sooner or later if their suspicions were to be proven true but as for now, they didn't have any evidence. If they were to tell them about their suspicions and they were a false alarm, the Council would be a great mess.

"To be honest, I don't think that telling the council a good idea. They will create a fuss and everyone will get all panicky." Montehue spoke as he run a hand over his face. He as well knew that once the council knew, they were going to keep an eye on every seeker there was and would maybe even go as far as sending a spy to infiltrate the Spiral. Now that Zhalia wasn't an option anymore though, they would send someone who was way more inexperienced and if the spy were to get caught hell would break loose.

"But someone has to know." Tersly reminded them, and that was when Montehues gaze fell onto Zhalia.

They both knew that there technically was a person of high authority that they could entrust these information without having to tell the entire council, but Zhalia wasn't to keen on doing so if she were to be honest.

It wasn't because of the teams current situation, but rather because she wasn't looking forward to what he would do if he were to know. He was unpredictable and Zhalia knew out of first-hand experience that he would go as far as giving up his life under certain circumstances.

And history repeating itself was something that Zhalia wanted to prevent.

"I am going to see what I can do." Zhalia eventually told him with a sigh before she rose from her seat.

He gave her a grateful nod and stood up as well, Tersly following suit in an instant.

"I hope that the next time we meet it's going to be under more pleasant circumstances." Montehue told her softly and Zhalia gave him a small, strained smile in return.

"We'll have to see about that." She merely returned, watching how Montehues smile brightened at her response.

With that, Zhalia turned and left the pair of seekers without as much as another word, knowing that the next time they would meet would be sooner than they would expect.

She made her way out of the building and made her way back to her apartment where Den was already waiting for her.

As soon as she had opened the door, she was greeted by the sigh of a pacing Den who's head snapped up at the sound of the door opening.

"Zhalia!" He exclaimed with wide eyes, rushing to her side in an instant. His eyes were wide and filled with worry whereas he scanned her body for any signs of the injury.

"Where the hell have you been?" Den exclaimed with a frown as he stopped in front of her, crossing his arms above his chest.

Zhalia merely shook her head at his babbling in return and walked past him and over to her room, Den following her like a shadow.

"Sorry, but Montehue needed my help with something at the HQ." She informed him with a sigh, knowing that once Den was worried he was just as bad as Lok.

"Sorry? That's all you got to say?" Den asked incredulously as he leaned against the door-frame of Zhalia's room. She was currently putting her titans back into her drawer and was rummaging through the items in her backpack.

"Uh, yes?" Zhalia returned, obviously not getting his point. Den noticed as well and huffed at her response, shaking his head like a disappointed mother would.

"Zhalia, you're not even fully healed yet." Den started, his voice now considerably softer. "Why didn't you take a day off of work? I am sure that whatever it was that Montehue needed your help with could have waited until tomorrow."

Zhalia sighed in return and tossed her backpack into one of the corners of her rooms, now turning to look at Den. She knew that he was only worried and concerned for her well being and she did feel guilty about worrying him as well, but she couldn't help it.

"Unfortunately, it couldn't. I'm sorry about worrying you, I was in a hurry but the next time I'll leave you a note alright?" Zhalia compromised and Den eventually gave her a nod out of understanding.

"Alright." He breathed and slumped his shoulders, knowing that Zhalia wouldn't have wanted to intentionally worry him.

He simply couldn't help it. She had been injured and he considered her a sister, so of course he would be worried if he returned home just to find her gone without as much as a trace or clue as to where she did leave to.

"What was it that Montehue needed your help with?" He inquired after a moment, and Zhalia froze.

She knew that he had a right to know and she didn't want to keep it from him or the rest of the team either, but this time she unfortunately didn't have a choice.

"Nothing important." Zhalia assured him. "He just needed some help with the titan he had retrieved on his last mission."

Den gave her a wary look, a nagging voice in the back of his head telling him that there was more to it but he decided to let it rest for now.

"Oh well." He shrugged, now standing up straight. "Since you are obviously feeling better already, how about we go and pay Lok and Sophie a visit now instead of tomorrow?" He suggested with a smile.

Zhalia turned her head to look at him, not failing to catch the small hopeful spark that lighted up his eyes for the split of a second.

She guessed that there would be no harm and thus, gave him a nod.

"Sure, why not." She replied with a shrug, watching how Dens former smile turned into a grin.

"Great, I am just going to get my things and we can go!" With that being said, Den left her room and went into his own one, leaving a mildly entertained Zhalia behind.

Going to spend some time with the teens would be a welcoming distraction from her rather unsettling thoughts. Also, she would still need to tell Dante about her and Montehues suspicions, but she guessed that there would be no harm in waiting for another day.

 _Meanwhile_

 _Unknown location_

"Milady, the troop you have send out has just returned."

The deep voice of the male that had just spoken echoed through the cavern, cutting through the eerie silence that had formerly filled it.

Red eyes fell onto the man that spoken up, eyeing him closely.

"Send them in." the female demanded calmly, her tone sharp.

The man nodded and disappeared, returning a moment later followed by a group of spirals.

The group kneeled down in front of the throne where the female was seated on, lowering their heads out of respect towards her.

They all looked rather beaten and exhausted and it didn't take a genius to figure out what must have happened.

"Milady," The commander spoke up first, his gaze firmly set on the solid ground beneath him. "We just returned from the mission you have sent us to, but I am afraid that we weren't successful."

Glowing red eyes narrowed at the commanders words, obviously displeased. She had expected nothing else, but the mere fact that they were still alive proved her that they didn't put enough effort into it.

She released a small breath and put a strand of her black Hair behind her ear, resting her cheek against her palm.

"You have failed." She stated monotonously, red eyes glowing brightly in the dim cavern. "Yet you dare to return, alive nonetheless."

The commander gulped and bit his lower lip, unsure of what to say next.

"I humbly beg you to have mercy on us." He stammered, voice holding none of the confidence it did before.

"Dante Vale and his team were too strong." He added in a whisper, and that was when the female frowned.

"Weaken it then you fools. In order to take down the Foundation, we have to break the team first. They are the key, so find out what it takes to destroy them. As soon as they are out of the picture, there will be nothing left to hinder us from reaching out goal. Understood?" She commanded coldly, poison dropping from her every word.

"Yes, Milady." The group of Spirals shouted in union, grateful that the were granted another day to live.

"Good." She drawled coldly. "If you dare to fail the next time though, I won't hesitate to kill you in the most painful way possible."

The Spirals once more gave her a nod out of understanding in return and the female smirked, obviously pleased by the fear that filled their eyes.

"Good, now get out of my sight."

The spirals did as told and hastily made their way out of the cavern, leaving behind the female.

She sighed out of annoyance and grabbed the closest thing that was in reach and threw it against the wall, what turned out to be a glass.

It shattered upon the impact and produced a sharp sound before the pieces fell onto the ground.

Her hand was glowing in a black hue and the corner of her lips were turned downwards, indicating that she was anything but pleased.

"I will destroy Dante Vale and his stupid little team and then I will finally get what's rightfully mine."


	7. Home sweet Home

**A/N:** Thanks for all the nice reviews, I am glad that you liked it so far! Please **review** this one as well so that I know whether you liked it or not. Enjoy!

* * *

 **CHAPTER 7**

 _Casterwill Mansion_

 _7PM_

Sophie was walking through one of the many corridors of her mansion, her emerald eyes lazily roaming the portrays that were hanging on the wall while she was occupied by her thoughts.

She hadn't seen Lok since breakfast and wondered where he had wandered off to. Sophie had already asked both LeBlanche and Santiago whether they had seen the blonde seeker but much to her dismay, neither of them had done so either. So in the end, she took it on herself to find her boyfriend and looked in every room there was in the mansion, hoping to find him.

She was growing more and more worried with every empty room that had greeted her and brooded about what the reason for his absence could be.

As his girlfriend, she was supposed to be the person he could run to whenever he had troubles or worries, and not the one he would run from.

She had to admit that lately, it seemed as if he was trying to avoid her at all costs and he wasn't able to hold eye-contact with her either, what confused her even more.

Ever since she had met Lok he had never tried to avoid her and instead, always tried to be close to her.

Something seemed to bothering him and she was going to find out what it was.

After having looked though every room there was at the mansion, Sophie was feeling beyond frustrated at his absence.

There was one place left that she didn't look at yet and if he wouldn't be there, Sophie would actually consider calling Zhalia and Den to aid her finding him.

Sophie took small yet rather fast steps towards her room and threw the doors open upon reaching it. Walking in without bothering to close the doors, she walked towards her balcony and threw open the glass doors before she stepped outside.

The rather chilly air of Venice caressed her face gently as the female now took slow strides outside, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear.

Sophie walked towards the stone reeling and gazed down at the city that she considered her home, a small smile on her lips.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" She spoke softly, her eyes roaming the different buildings that were scattered in front of her.

Her ears picked up the small sound of a movement behind her and she didn't have to turn around to know where it was coming from.

"It is." Agreed another voice, this one slightly darker and clearly belonging to a male and Sophie couldn't help but smile.

So he was there after all.

"You know, I have been looking for you Lok." Sophie sighed, her grip on the stone reeling tightening slightly. She didn't dare to turn around, however, and firmly kept her gaze glued at the busy streets of Venice.

She as well had noticed that things in their relationship had changed ever since they have returned from their battle against the betrayer. With no new missions, the two of them swiftly grew bored and upon living each other, arguments unfortunately were inevitable. It weren't big ones, mostly arguments about the tiniest of things that didn't last long as well but with every new argument that came up, they drifted further and further apart. They went on dates like couples at their age were doing and it turned out to be quite pleasant as well, but it wasn't something they could do every day in order to make their relationship work.

The feeling that once seemed so strong and special dulled, leaving nothing but uncertainty.

Sophie didn't want to admit it at first but eventually realized that she as well was partly at fault for their current situation.

"I needed some time to think." Lok returned after some moments, his voice barely above a whisper.

Sophie's knuckles turned white and she kept her head high, forcing herself to take even breaths as she closed her eyes out of silent apprehension.

She knew that it was now or never and that there was no more talking around it.

"Lok." She spoke his name in a breath, lowering her head lightly as she tried to ignore the sudden rush of hesitance that overcame her.

"It can't go on like this anymore." She finally managed to grit out, every word that left her tongue worsening the uncomfortable feeling in her gut.

Silence.

Every second that ticked by seemed like a painful eternity to Sophie and as for the moment, she would prefer fighting against a group of Spirals than being in this kind of situation.

"I know." Came Lok's curt reply, a deep sigh following right after.

"What are we supposed to do?" She inquired as she bit her lower lip, the small hint of frustration in her tone lacing her words.

"I don't want to end it." Lok spoke, now sounding more determined than he did before and Sophie couldn't help but suppress the sigh that dared to escape her.

"Neither do I." Sophie admitted with a small slump of her shoulder. Why did it all have to be so complicated? She wondered what it was that she had done in her life to deserve such a misery. First her family, then the fight against the Organization, the Blood Spiral and now Lok. Why couldn't things go right for once ?

She suddenly felt a small shift in the air behind her and tensed slightly, not quite sure of what to expect before she calmed.

Sophie heard a soft thud behind her and realized that Lok must have come down from his spot on the roof.

"Sophie, look at me." Lok demanded softly, and Sophie hesitated.

She didn't want to know what would expect her if she did, if those blue eyes would be filled with hurt or if they were emotionless.

"Please." Lok pleaded under his breath and even of reluctant, Sophie eventually did as told.

She turned around to face him and as soon as she did, his bright blue eyes caught hers in an instant.

He was actually closer than she had expected and her first instinct was to take a step back, but Lok had seemingly read her mind and grabbed her wrist ever so gently.

"Lok-" Sophie started confusedly, but Lok shook his head before she was able to say anything.

"Sophie, you mean a lot to me and its so damn frustrating to watch how we grow more and more distant from each other." Lok confessed frustrated, his grip on her wrist lightly tightening.

"I just-I just want to know if you still feel the same. No cut that, I _need_ to know if you still feel the same because if we want to make this thing work, we will have to build our relationship on that." He admitted, his heart beat echoing loudly in his ears.

He had spend the past hours thinking about what to do regarding his and Sophies rather obvious relationship issues and came to the conclusion that they had go clear up things no matter the outcome.

It was true, he still liked Sophie as much as before and it took him some time to realize due to all the stress and events that have happened lately but in the end, he was certain of his feelings towards the Casterwill.

The two of them hadn't actually had any experience in dating and Lok always feared that even the tiniest mistakes would mess up their entire relationship so he forced himself not to complain but in the end, it had seemingly backfired.

They didn't act like themselves around each other. Whenever they were alone, it suddenly grew all tense and awkward because of the fear that one wrong move might lead to the end.

Sophie watched him closely, her green eyes never leaving his as she opened her mouth to reply, but she was unable to utter a word.

Lok saw her hesitance and felt a small pang in his heart. He had learned that hesitance never was a good thing. There were two options and if you were hesitating to speak your mind, you weren't quite sure if what you have chosen was right.

He lowered his head and shook his head with a bittersweet smile, blue eyes filled with hurt.

He should have known that she didn't feel the same way anymore. Almost two years have passed since their confession and it was foolish to believe that she still considered him more than a friend.

"I should have known." Lok ruefully whispered under his breath and loosened his grip on her wrist. He should have known that all these things wouldn't have happened if Sophie liked him as much as he liked her, and the truth hurt him more than he had imagined that it would.

Lok turned around and was about to walk back in but Sophies next words made him halt in place.

"I do." Came her whisper and it wasn't for Lok's keen hearing, it would have slipped his notice.

His head snapped up and he turned to look over his shoulder to see Sophie staring right back at him.

There was no sign of the former hesitance he had formerly noticed and instead, her eyes were filled with pure determination. She was not breaking his gaze and bravely lifted her head, the fire in her eyes flaming back to life.

A wave of relief washed over him and his stiff shoulders loosened as he turned back to face her. He was hesitant to let his joy show however, and instead bit the inside of his cheek.

"Are you sure?" He eventually asked, his voice sounding more like a squeak and he inwardly cursed himself. Lok wasn't one for serious situations and always managed to either make a situation even more tense and awkward.

"Lok, I wouldn't say things that I don't mean." Sophie confidently replied, sounding slightly offended.

Lok now gave her a smile and took a step closer to her. He could easily pull her in his arms from where he was standing at if he wanted to, but he wanted to clear things up first and thus, refrained from doing so.

"So." Lok drawled, his eyes shimmering in the sunlight. "We are practically starting over without actually starting over." He clarified, and Sophie couldn't help but give a small chuckle at his statement.

Well he wasn't wrong. They were starting over but wouldn't forget what had happened in the past and still acknowledge it, so it could be considered a renewal of their relationship.

"You could say so." Sophie agreed and gave him a smile that made his heart skip a beat. _This_ was exactly what he wanted. He wanted them to be comfortable around each other, wanted to see her genuine smiles instead of the uncomfortable ones she used to put on and most importantly, wanted to actually have her by his side without any restrictions.

"Alright." Lok spoke, his smile turning into a full length grin as he felt how the burden that he used to carry with him wherever he went to disappeared into thin air.

"Alright." Sophie repeated, also feeling lighter than she used to. She was glad that they took care of their issue and could finally be comfortable around each other like they used to.

Silence engulfed the couple as they were simply standing on the balcony, looking at one another while being completely oblivious to what was going around them.

Lok then began to slowly lean in and before Sophie was able to realize what was going on, she did the same. Their faces were inching closer and closer until their noses were about to touch, their lips brushing against each others for the split of a second before-

"Oh my, look what we got here."

A gasp escaped Sophie's lips upon hearing the sudden voice and Lok jumped away from her as if he just got burned, equally surprised and taken aback. Both of their heads turned towards the source of the voice in a heartbeat and upon seeing who it was that interrupted them, Lok let out a low groan.

Leaning against the door-frame of the balcony was none other than Zhalia, her hazel eyes sparkling with pure amusement whereas a mischievous smile was on her lips.

"Zhalia!" Lok whined as he laid a hand over his chest, trying to calm his racing heart while the other one sheepishly rubbing his neck.

Sophie seemed just as uncomfortable and wore a frown as she twirled a strand of her long hair between her slender fingers, pointedly avoiding Lok's gaze.

"What?" The raven-haired female inquired innocently as she tilted her head aside. "Don't mind me, the two of you can go on with whatever you were doing."

She noticed the way Lok's cheeks heated up the slightest of bits and refrained from actually chuckling. This poor boy was way too innocent for this cruel world.

"Is it payback for the time when I accidentally run into you and-"Lok started but the look that Zhalia shot him made him snap his mouth shut in an instant.

Zhalia's entire body went tense and her smile dropped at his words, her eyes considerably narrowing.

"No." She swiftly interrupted the blonde and straightened her back, her eyes never leaving his. Lok gave her a sheepish chuckle whereas Sophie seemed lost as to what they were talking about.

"What do you mean?" Sophie curiously asked, now turning to look at Lok who returned her gaze with a nervous smile. Lok noticed out of the corner of his eye that Zhalia was still glaring at him in a matter of _daring_ him to utter another word regarding this topic.

She had actually hoped that Lok being as dense as he was, didn't notice what had happened or well, _almost_ happened between her and Dante back then.

Zhalia couldn't say that now almost two years later, she wasn't glad that Lok had interrupted them back then. It was annoying at first, but Zhalia soon realized that things may have gotten too complicated if they were to have actually taken that step back then.

"Oh, nothing important." Lok quickly replied, earning a disbelieving look from Sophie.

She decided not to question him any further for now and concluded that it would be logical to do so when they were on their own.

"Come on, Den is waiting downstairs." Zhalia spoke with a sigh, already regretting her decision as she turned away and walked out of Sophie's room, the couple following close behind.

Sophie and Lok gave each other a small awkward smile as they were walking next to each other, not quite knowing what to say after the rather awkward incident.

They were walking through the corridor and down the stairs in silence until Lok decided to break it.

"Don't get me wrong Zhalia, but what are you doing here?" Lok curiously inquired as they turned a corner and walked down the flight of stairs.

"We had nothing to do so Den suggested to visit you and hold our _sleepover_ as you have called it today instead of tomorrow." She swiftly replied, not bothering to turn her head in order to look at the two teens as she continued to make her way downstairs.

"Oh." Lok mouthed in understanding before he smiled brightly. "That's great! How about we watch some movies?" He suggested excitedly.

Sophie opened her mouth to speak up but Lok went on before she was able to do as much as utter a word.

"Oh! Or we all can train together! It's been some time since we last did that! Or we can play truth or dare!"Lok suggested in one breath and Sophie shook her head at her boyfriends enthusiasm.

How did Zhalia, a trained spy and one of the best seekers there were end up in a _sleepover?_

 _The Next day_

 _11AM_

"Augerfrost!" Den shouted as he run towards Sophie with his hand extended, the spell flying towards Sophie.

"Honorguard!" The Casterwill heiress cried before the barrier surrounded her, blocking the spell just before it was able to hit her.

She was panting heavily just like Den, a small layer of sweat covering their foreheads as they eyed each other. They have been fighting for almost half an hour now and neither of them was seemingly going to give up.

"Nimblefire!" Sophie called and run towards Den with the additional speed that the spell lend her, her hand pulled back while her fist was glowing in an orange hue.

"Dragonfist!" She cried and aimed for Den's shoulder but he had already predicted her move and dodged the spell. Sophie realized her mistake too late and frowned as she noticed that he had grabbed her wrist.

"Boltflare!" Den yelled and let the spell loose, hitting Sophie right in her ribs with such a force that made her fly backwards.

She collided with the hard wall of the gym and groaned upon the impact before she slid down so that she was sitting on the ground with her back against the wall.

She winced as she felt a sharp pain in the area where Den's spell had hit her upon trying to move upright and gritted her teeth.

"Everfight." She muttered under her breath and sighed out of relief upon feeling the pain dulling before it faded into nothingness.

As soon as she was healed, Sophie stood up from where she was seated and made her way towards Den, ready to get payback.

Den didn't seem to have noticed that she had healed herself though and was way too delighted upon having managed to get a hit on the Casterwill.

"Yo Zhalia did you see that! I beat Sophie!" He called victoriously, completely oblivious to Sophie who was now almost in reach.

"Hey!" Came Lok's shout upon hearing that Den had hurt Sophie but before Den was able to retort, he froze in place.

"Raypulse!"

He was too slow and didn't manage to dodge the spell that came flying towards him as it hit him straight in the back.

Den let out a surprised yelp as he flew forwards and hit the ground with a painful thud that was followed by Lok's laughter.

"Serves you right-woah!" Lok barely managed to dodge the spell that Zhalia had shot towards him and looked at her with wide eyes.

"Never let your enemy out of sight Lok, you should know better than that." Zhalia scolded with a sigh as she went back into her fighting position.

Whereas Den and Sophie were teamed up to battle one another, Lok and Zhalia formed the second team much to Lok's delight.

He had looked forward to fighting Zhalia since he hadn't had a challenge for a long time now. Of course there were Sophie and Den, but with them it was different.

Something always seemed to hold him back out of the fear of hurting Sophie whenever he had battled her and even though Den was strong as well, he still was inexperienced in some aspects.

Zhalia was far more experienced than the three of them and never hesitated to shoot a spell or to land a hit and that's exactly what Lok needed.

He needed a real challenge and even though he knew that he couldn't beat Zhalia, the fight still turned out to be very interesting and entertaining.

Zhalia never went as far as seriously injuring them though and always stopped whenever they were obviously too exhausted or too beaten. She was consequent though and wouldn't go easy on them because if they were to encounter enemies, they were not going to go easy on them either. Zhalia took it on herself to make them realize the importance of being prepared, even if it wasn't a pleasant way.

Lok remembered when he had first battled Zhalia and he could still feel the aching of his body upon thinking back. He wasn't able to last more than five minutes against her and got a bunch full of nasty bruises that Sophie had to treat with everheal. He expected no less from Zhalia though and was determined to battle her as soon as he was all healed up.

"I know, I know." Lok breathed with a slump of his shoulders before he straightened his back and went into his battle position as well.

Neither of them moved at first and even though Zhalia's face showed none of it, she was impressed that he at least seemed to have remembered what she had told him about attacking first.

" _Let your opponent attack first. This way, you'll be prepared and will have an advantage instead of running straight into danger."_ She had told him back when they had battled each other and Lok had blindly stormed towards her, resulting with a rather painful twisted wrist.

Concluding that he wouldn't attack first, Zhalia moved.

"Darkfog." Zhalia called the spell and watched how the dark fog came to live, surrounding the two of them and leaving them unable to see anything.

She then swiftly sprinted forwards Lok, her fist tinted by the black color of her spell as she directed it towards Lok's head.

The blonde jumped out of the way just in time before her fist was about to collide with his cheek with the help of Hyperstride and landed a couple of feet away from her.

"Boltflare!" Lok shouted and released the spell, the orange ball of energy flying towards the bluenette.

Zhalia easily dodged the spell and once more charged towards him, directly attacking him.

Time to test his combat skills.

She aimed her kick towards his stomach but he grabbed her ankle before it was able to collide with his body, intending on pulling her forwards.

Zhalia was faster though and raised her other leg and halfway turned her body, kicking him right in this gut. He released her and she gracefully landed on her feet, watching him stagger back and holding his stomach with a groan.

"Everheal!" He swiftly called and dodged the punch she had sent flying towards him, gritting his teeth before a small smile made itself visible on his lips.

Zhalia arched her brow at the sudden smile and couldn't help but scoff out of amusement.

He was actually enjoying himself.

"Thoughtspecter!" Zhalia shouted and Lok's smile fell. He watched how Zhalia disappeared in front of his very own eyes and gulped at the sudden turn of events.

Lok's eyes frantically roamed the hall in order to find out where Zhalia could have disappeared to but it was when he felt a sudden presence behind him that a shiver run down his spine.

"Oh crap."

He then found himself hurled towards the wall Sophie had previously been thrown against and closed his eyes, waiting for the dreaded impact.

It never came though.

He opened his eyes and surprisingly found himself floating in the air, his face inches away from the wall.

Lok breathed a sigh of relieve and felt how he was slowly being lowered to the ground until his feet were touching the ground and he was standing upright.

He turned around to look at Sophie and gave her a grateful smile, his blue eyes filled with obvious relief.

"Thanks Soph!" He called gratefully and Sophie in return gave him a nod before she returned her attention to her own fight.

Lok turned to look at Zhalia who was standing where he had previously been, hands firmly planted on her hips.

"Good." Zhalia commented with a small smile. "But still not good enough. You have to sharpen your senses and practice to be aware of your surroundings without relying on your sight." She explained and Lok gave her a smile, grateful for her advice.

He could always count on Zhalia to give him an advice since she never was biased and always told the truth, no matter if it was regarding his training or something else.

"Thanks Zhalia, I will keep that in mind for our next training session." Lok replied, genuinely appreciating her comment before they heard someone clearing their throat behind them.

Sophie and Den have also stopped their fight and four heads turned to look at the source of the sound.

It turned out to be LeBlanche who was standing in the doorway, a gentle smile on his face as he eyed the group of seekers amiably.

"I am sorry to interrupt your training, but there is someone waiting for you in the living-room." LeBlanche informed them, and the group exchanged a small surprised glance with one another.

"Were you expecting visitors Sophie?" Lok asked the blonde who in return shook her head, also confused. She didn't expect anyone and Lucas and his team were out on a mission themselves, so it couldn't be them.

Zhalia knew that there was the possibility of it being Montehue and Tersly, but there wasn't anything left for them to talk about and she doubted that they would come just to chat with each other.

"Who is the visitor, LeBlanche?" Sophie asked the older seeker with a tilt of her head. LeBlanche's smile in return merely broadened at Sophie's question.

"I think that I will leave it to the four of you to find out on your own." He replied and gave them a small polite bow before he left, leaving behind a puzzled group of seekers.

Den shrugged and followed LeBlanche outside, curiosity taking the best out of him. Lok followed right behind and Sophie and Zhalia exchanged a wary glance before they also made their way out of the gym.

It took a good five minutes until they were just about to enter the living room and with each step Zhalia was taking towards the room, she grew more and more anticipating.

She didn't know why but she had a very strange feeling about their visitor.

Her feeling turned out to be right though because as soon as Den and Lok had entered the room they froze in place, making Zhalia and Sophie bump into them.

Zhalia narrowed her eyes at them and Sophie openly frowned, puzzled upon what was going on as she turned to face the teens.

"Hey! Why did you suddenly-" She paused mid-sentence as soon as her eyes caught the form of their visitor sitting in the armchair, a cup of coffee placed in front of him.

Zhalia tensed and couldn't help but be surprised as well. Out of all the people she had expected to be here, _he_ was the last one she would have thought of.

There he was, dressed in his usual brown pullover and beige pants, his trademark yellow coat placed over the armrest while his amber eyes took in the surprised expressions of his team in obvious entertainment.

"Dante?" Sophie asked out of surprise, clearly not having expected him either before her lips curled up in a grin.

Zhalia inwardly groaned at the irony of the situation she was currently put in, her expression now holding no sign of surprise as it did moments before.

"LeBlanche just told me that you were training. I hope that you don't mind me interrupting it." Dante spoke with a smile, his smooth voice breaking the former silence.

Lok was the next one to recover from the shock of his mentors suddenly arrival and gave his mentor a toothy grin, not bothering to hide his excitement upon seeing Dante again.

"Nonesense! It's fine, we were done anyways." He quickly informed his mentor before he moved over to take a seat on the couch opposite of him, tiredly slumping down. Den followed right behind and took a seat next to the blonde, his lips curled up in a small smile as well.

He too was excited to see Dante again, especially since it was kind of a surprise visit and no one had expected it.

"You missed out on me beating Sophie and Lok loosing to Zhalia." Den told Dante with a smirk who in return lifted an eyebrow.

"Hey!" Came the simultaneous shout from both Sophie and Lok, each of them looking at Den with a frown.

"I was the one winning the fight!" Sophie spoke stubbornly as she took a seat on the armrest next to Lok, openly glaring at Den who scoffed at her.

"Keep on dreaming Sophie." Den indifferently returned, only worsening Sophie's temper.

"I am sure it was an interesting fight." Dante swiftly assured them, knowing that they wouldn't stop without someone interrupting them.

Sophie merely huffed and Den gave him a grin. "You bet it was!" Den confirmed.

Zhalia remained standing in the doorway and a strong sense of deja-vu overcame her, the scene eerily reminding her of the day when they received the mission at Dante's mansion.

"Aren't you supposed to be in New York though?" Lok inquired as his gaze fell over to Dante, blue eyes filled with confusion.

Dante took another sip of his tea before he lowered the cup, placing it back on his lap as he turned to look at Lok with a small smile.

"Well, I was there and took care of some unfinished business before I took the next flight back to Venice." Dante told them as calm as always, earning a confused frown from Den.

"Why are you back in Venice though?" Den asked, obviously puzzled as to what his business in Venice was if he was living in New York.

Dante's smile turned into a smirk and he hummed in return.

"I am moving back to Venice, permanently. My things should arrive sometime today." He spoke composed.

Silence.

And then there was chaos.

"What!?" Sophie called in delight upon hearing Dante's words, her eyes wide and filled with obvious surprise and relief

"For real?" Followed Den's excited call, not having expected it at all.

"Took you long enough!" Lok called gleefully and jumped up from his seat, fist pumping the air in excitement.

Dante watched in amusement how the team took the news, partly relieved that they were as excited about his return as he hoped they would be.

He had made sure to take the next flight that was available in order to return home. He had to admit that he was relieved upon finally returning to the city he had spend most of his life in.

It wasn't like he didn't like being in New York, but Venice had always held a rather big part of him and the fact that his team was there as well gave him a reason to permanently return.

His eyes then caught Zhalia's upon noticing that she hadn't uttered a word ever since his arrival and he immediately noticed the way she had tensed.

Her head was lightly tilted aside as she caught his gaze, allowing her hazel eyes to show the confusion that she had felt upon hearing of the news of him returning.

A part of her was still suspicious and wondered what had happened that had made him return and even though she was hesitant to admit it, the bigger part was plainly relieved upon hearing that he would move back to Venice.

"That's the perfect opportunity to show you how much we have improved!" Lok exclaimed happily and turned around to shoot Den a knowing look.

"Why don't we show him guys?" He suggested excitedly and Den immediately agreed, giving Lok a nod.

"But he just-" Sophie started to object, but was unable to finish her sentence due to Lok grabbing her hand and pulling her on her feet.

She stumbled right into his chest and shot him a puzzled look that he pointedly ignored before Lok turned to look at Zhalia.

"What do you think Zhalia?" Lok asked the bluenette, his bright blue eyes shining with anticipation.

Zhalia eyed the three teens for a moment until she sighed, concluding that it would be way too much work to turn his offer down.

"If you want to embarrass yourself, go right away." Zhalia indifferently replied and watched how Lok's grin brightened upon hearing her indirect approval.

"Let's get going then!" He declared gleefully and started to pull Sophie out of the living-room and past Zhalia, Den following close behind.

Upon noticing that Dante didn't as much as move yet, Lok blinked confusedly.

"What are you waiting for?" he asked, addressing the older seekers in puzzlement.

Dante gave Zhalia a small glance out of the corner of his eye and noticed the way she as well seemed to have no intention of moving.

"We will be right there." Dante assured him and placed his now empty cup of tea on the table.

Sophie started to pull Lok down the corridor, having seemingly gotten the message with Den slowly walking after them, not without giving Dante a curious look though.

With the departure of the teens, Zhalia and Dante were left on their own. Some moments of silence have passed between the two before Zhalia allowed herself a small sigh.

"Dante Vale has permanently returned to Venice." Zhalia spoke lowly, her brown eyes meeting his amber ones in an instant. "Is there any particular reason for that?" She inquired in mild curiosity as she crossed her arms above her chest.

Dante in return leaned back in his seat and placed his arms on the armrest, eyeing her with a glint in his eyes that she was unable to identify.

"I have made a promise that I intend to keep." He smoothly returned, earning a small hum from Zhalia in return.

She still didn't quite believe that it was the only reason for his sudden change of mind but decided not to question it any further.

"A man of his words." Zhalia commented and wasn't able to suppress the small smile that tugged at the corner of her lips.

Dante felt relief washing over him upon seeing her smile and couldn't help but return it with one of his own.

It has been a long time since he had last seen her smile and he had come to realize that he had missed it while being gone.

"Indeed." He returned, and watched how Zhalia shook her head.

Silence once more filled the room and his keen eyes immediately noticed the way Zhalia's smile dropped ever so lightly, her eyes turning to look out of the tall window of Sophie's mansion.

"Something is on your mind." It was a statement rather than a question and Zhalia couldn't help but sigh. Dante had always had the ability of noticing the smallest shift in her behavior and managed to read her like an open book, no matter how much she had tried to fight it.

"A lot of things are on my mind." Zhalia hesitantly admitted, her voice now softer than it was before.

Dante's face fell and he watched the female in mild concern, his expression turning serious. Zhalia never was one to get worked up over things that weren't of great importance and to see her like this showed that whatever was bothering her must be serious.

Dante slowly rose from his seat and made his way towards her, stopping as he was standing in front of her.

"Zhaal, what's bothering you?" He softly inquired, resisting the sudden urge of simply pulling her towards him and straight into in his arms.

That was when the painful realization had hit him.

He had missed her.

Zhalia tensed upon hearing him call her by the nickname like he had used to back when he was still with them and couldn't help but sigh.

It was the perfect opportunity to tell him about her and Montehues discoveries and yet, she hesitated.

Something in her was stopping her from doing so, not wanting to take the risk of the team once more falling apart like it did the last time.

"Yesterday I went to meet up with Montehue at the HQ." Zhalia finally breathed out, looking up to meet his eyes.

Dante's eyes narrowed upon her mentioning Montehue and he wondered how his old rival was related to her worries and concerns.

"Dante, the chances of the Spiral Mark still being active are high." She finally spoke, her voice barely above a whisper in case someone was trying to overhear their conversation.

Dante froze upon hearing her words and couldn't help but frown. He didn't know what it was that Montehue had told Zhalia to make her believe that the Spiral was still active, but he didn't like it one bit.

"Zhalia, what are you talking about?" He questioned, genuinely wondering what in the world made her believe that the Spiral Mark had gotten activated anew.

"Back in Peru, the group of Spirals that have attacked us were no ordinary spirals Dante, they were far stronger." Zhalia informed him grimly, her eyes softening. "Montehue and Tersly have noticed the same on their mission. We have no evidence yet but something is going on, I thought that you should know. I don't want the teens to worry just for it to turn out to be a false alarm."

Dante carefully listened to her every word and pursed his lips. Of course he believed her, Zhalia was an experienced seeker and he trusted her judgment just like Montehues but the news were anything but pleasant. He now understood why it was that she was worried, she had every reason to if their suspicions were proven to be right and he would have a look at the matter as soon as he got time.

"That aren't good news indeed." Dante muttered in agreement before he looked back up at her. She still avoided his gaze and was seemingly occupied by her own thoughts.

He reached out and laid a hand on her shoulder, making her look up at him. Dante gave her a small reassuring smile and tightened his grip on her shoulder before he spoke up.

"Don't worry, I'll have a look at it." He spoke softly and Zhalia couldn't help but sigh at his words. She knew that his words were meant to assure her and that he would keep his promise but unfortunately, it didn't have the calming effect it was supposed to have on her.

"Let's go to the others, shall we? They must be waiting for us already." Dante gently suggested and Zhalia gave him a reluctant nod before the two of them made their way towards the gym where the rest of the team was already waiting for them, oblivious to the conversation their mentors have just had.


	8. The New Student

**A/N:** Thanks for reviewing the last chapter! I am so glad to hear that you enjoy this story so far:)

As always, have fun reading and **please review!** I would really appreciate it:)

 **CHAPTER 8**

It was already late in the evening and it was raining, the usually busy and crowded streets of Venice deserted at this late hour.

The rain drops collided with the ground, chilling the air and creating a soothing sound to the ear while the wind was silently howling.

The street lights flickered to life, illuminating the dark streets and if one's keen eyes looked closely, they would notice that a dark shadow was in the middle of the broad street, remaining perfectly still.

Just as fast as it appeared did it fade back into the darkness of the night, leaving no trace of its existence.

A soft clacking sound in the distance followed right after it's disappearance, growing louder and louder with every second that ticked by.

The petite silhouette of a woman was able to be seen soon after as she was calmly walking through the empty streets, the sound of her heels colliding with the solid ground breaking through the silence.

She was wearing a long dark coat that covered her body and reached her ankles, the hood that shielded her from the rain hiding her features in the process.

Her pace fastened all of sudden, one of her hands holding her hood in place whereas the other one fastened the coat around herself, trying to keep it in place.

She turned the next corner right and swiftly sprinted into one of the many alleys that Venice fortunately provided and run towards it's end without turning her head to look back.

The hooded woman then leaned against the cold stone walls, her back tightly pressed against it as she lowered her head and tried to control her breathing.

"Come on out, we know that you're here." Came a call in the far distance, making her head snap up in alarm.

So she was being followed after all, just as she had assumed, for whatever reason there was.

Frankly put, she didn't want to find out what the reason for them following her were either.

The woman remained silent and held her breath, attentively listening to the sound of their food steps growing louder, indicating that they were closing in on her.

"We won't hurt you." A second voice drawled, this one being more loud and clear.

They were walking straight towards her and the woman refrained from scoffing at their words.

As if she was as foolish as to actually believe them..

She once more remained silent, hoping that she sound of the rain was covering up her light panting and tried to ignore the rush of adrenaline that flooded her veins.

The footsteps were closing in on her and she knew that if they were to turn into this alley instead of proceeding to walk straight ahead, they would undoubtedly find her.

"I don't think that she is here."

She would have almost missed his mutter due to the sound of the rain mixed with the whistling of the wind but fortunately, her keen ears picked it up.

The two of them seemingly stopped right at the entrance of the alley, their backs facing her as they were scanning the area for any signs of her.

"She has to be." The first one spoke, his low monotonous voice not betraying the authority he held. He turned to look at his comrade, a frown on his face. "We have received our orders and have to fulfill them, no matter how long it will take to find her. Understood?"

"Yeah." Came the others reluctant sigh. "Let's go and get it over with then." He mumbled before they started to walk into the opposite direction of where she currently was.

As soon as their forms have disappeared from her sight and she was sure that they were gone, the woman allowed herself a small sigh of relief.

She run a pale wet hand over her face and leaned the back of her head against the wall as she frowned.

She didn't know what kind of business these men were holding with her nor did she know why someone would hire them to get her.

Deciding that she should use her chance to escape before they would once more stumble across her, she silently made her way out of the alley before she disappeared into the darkness of the night.

 _The next morning_

 _8AM_

Lok sighed for what felt like the hundredth time this morning. He shifted in his seat and tried his best to pay attention to the teachers words but unfortunately, no matter how hard he tried it didn't seem to work at all.

Today was Monday, also known as _doomsday_ as Lok had always liked to call it and he and Sophie were both stuck in history class.

It wasn't that he didn't like history class because in fact, it was his favorite class and since he was a seeker he even witnessed historical happenings in front of his very own eyes.

The blonde had to admit that he was glad that he had been introduced to the world of seekers and titans. He couldn't imagine giving up his life as a seeker and didn't even want to think about how his life would be without all the adventures.

Of course it was tough at times, but he had made a lot of friends who were standing by his side and if it weren't for his fathers amulet, he would have never gotten close to Sophie either.

Lok Lambert was quite a lucky guy, now that he thought about it.

He shot Sophie who was sitting next to him a small glance out of the corner of his eye and watched how Sophie was taking notes, her eyes focused on the paper and her lips pursed out of concentration.

He suppressed the urge of groaning out of frustration at being stuck in class at this early hour and turned to look on his still empty sheet of paper, his pen tapping on the wooden desk.

A yawn escaped his lips as he halfheartedly payed attention to what his teacher was saying, pouting slightly.

It was yesterday that Dante had told them the news of his return and Lok had to admit that he was quite relieved upon hearing it as well.

After the fight against the betrayer, Dante had joined the council but remained the teams leader nonetheless. Lok though, feared that once the Foundation was back on it's feet, Dante would resign from being the teams leader.

He couldn't imagine the team without Dante and even though Zhalia would also be capable of taking the position as the leader of the team, he doubted that it would be the same without Dante.

She was well trained, strong, and didn't act reckless so Lok doubted that the council would give the position to someone like himself instead of her.

He doubted that he would be able to deal with all the pressure and responsibility he would be put under as well and didn't mind staying a mere member of the team at all. His girlfriend is a Casterwill, he is the Champion of the Casterwills and on top of that he's a member of the strongest team there was, he really didn't need any more additional work.

Lok suddenly felt something wrap itself around his wrist and lightly jumped in his seat out of surprise, his head turning around to look at Sophie in confusion.

"Stop the tapping, it gets irritating." Sophie whispered with a frown before she released Loks wrist.

The blonde gave her a small sheepish smile and opened his mouth to mutter an apology but just then did their teacher clear her throat in order to gain the classes attention.

The woman was standing at the front of the classroom and faced the students with a stern expression.

"Class, attention please." She spoke firmly. Several heads turned towards her, Lok and Sophie now also looking at her in mild curiosity. Upon noticing that she now had the students attention, the elderly woman continued to speak.

"From today on, a new student is going to join our class. I expect you to be at your best behavior class, don't disappoint me." She informed them and pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose.

Sophie and Lok exchanged a mildly curious glance. It was quite unusual for a student to transfer in the middle of a semester but they knew that people had their own reasons, so they simply brushed it off.

A sudden knock echoed through the classroom and their history teacher turned her head to the door, a small smile plastered on her face.

"Come in." She called and the class fell silent, watching the door in anticipation and curiosity as to what the student would look like.

The metal door opened and a rather old man walked in, whom Lok eventually identified as the principal, followed by a girl.

The girl seemed to be around their age and was of average height. She had long, light wavy brown hair that reached her lower back and a rather pale skin. Her icy blue eyes were shining brightly in the light of the sun and created a nice contrast to the color of her hair. She was dressed in a knotted crop black T-shirt that still covered her belly-button, brown cargo pants, black boots, and dark green cardigan was wrapped around her slim waist.

Lok had to admit that she really was pretty, and he couldn't help but think of Zhalia when his eyes fell on her. They had no similarity appearance wise, but she gave off an aura that eerily reminded him of his raven-haired teammate.

The principal headed towards their history teacher, the girl following close behind before they came to an halt.

The elderly man turned towards the class and laid a hand on her shoulder as she did the same, her blue eyes roaming the class whereas her lips were pursed.

"Students, this is the new student that Miss Summers had mentioned." He spoke with a smile. "Her name is Sara, and she is going to be your new class-mate from today on. Is there anywhere you would specifically like to sit?"

All eyes fell on said female who seemed quite uncomfortable by the attention she was suddenly getting as she shook her head.

"Anywhere is fine." She softly assured and offered the class a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

Miss Summers gave her a small nod before she eyed her class closely, her grey eyes roaming the classroom before her eyes fell onto the empty spot next to Sophie.

"Why don't you sit down next to Miss Casterwill? She is an excellent student and I am sure that she will help you if you have any problems." Miss Summers suggested, and Sara's eyes fell onto Sophie who gave her a polite smile.

Sara hesitantly nodded before she made her way towards her new seat, her eyes locked on the ground while she tried to ignore the stares that she received from the others. A few students have already started to exchange whispers about Sara, what didn't get unnoticed by her, but she figured that as for now she should simply ignore them.

Lok's eyes softened out of sympathy. With him it hadn't been any different and he as well hadn't been spared from the gossip and chatters from the others as they talked about the "New Kid.". It was annoying, but sadly inevitable.

Sara sat down next to Sophie without as much as another word and laid her backpack on the ground next to the bench, not even bothering to acknowledge any of the whispers.

Lok saw Sophie frown and figured that she probably noticed the stares and mumbling as well and couldn't help but narrow his eyes out of obvious annoyance towards his classmates.

He turned his head to look over his shoulder and threw the others a pointed glare, blue eyes shining with disappointment before he returned his gaze to the front of the classroom where the principal was silently chatting with their history teacher, seemingly oblivious to what was going on.

He figured that it would take some time until they would be done with their little talk and decided to use the time by talking to the new student.

Lok's eyes fell onto the girl that was seated next to Sophie and watched how she lazily eyed the front of the classroom, looking both uncomfortable and lightly annoyed while Sophie caught Lok's gaze.

A moment of silence passed between the two of them before Sophie gave the blonde a small nod, crossing her leg over the other as she turned to look at Sara as well.

"So, you're the new student." Lok lamely stated, hoping to start a conversation with the brunette while Sophie rolled her eyes at his rather obvious statement.

Sara's eyes fell onto the blonde, looking mildly surprised since she hadn't expected anyone to start a conversation with her.

She blinked once before she gave Lok a small nod as a response to his question, who seemed delighted upon receiving a reply from her in the first place.

"Well it's nice to meet you! My name is Lok Lambert, and this is my girlfriend Sophie Casterwill." He swiftly introduced themselves and Sophie extended her hand, giving her a polite smile. Sara eyed the two for a moment before she took Sophies hand and gave it a small shake, returning their smile with a small one herself.

"Sara Nero." She curtly introduced herself. "And it's nice to meet you too." She let go of Sophie's hand and just as she did so, Lok noticed out of the corner of his eyes.

He looked down at Sara's hand and noticed that there was a ring on her left index finger, and his eyes widened for the split of a second.

It wasn't any ordinary ring, Lok concluded upon looking more closely. It wasn't big and instead rather petite, but Lok immediately noticed the small yet familiar aura that it emitted.

Her ring contained a titan.

His eyes shot upwards to see that Sara had seemingly caught him looking at her hand and was now eyeing him warily, a slight hint of confusion sparkling in her eyes.

Sophie shot Lok a small questioningly look out of the corner of her eye before she realized what he had been looking at. Her emerald eyes fell onto the silver ring on Sara's finger and immediately noticed the shift in the air as she came to the same conclusion.

She was a seeker?

"Nice ring you got there." Lok commented nonchalantly and gave her a small smile. Sara's eyes fell on said item before she gave Lok a small hum out of agreement, her blue eyes falling back on the blonde.

"Thank you." She returned, still viewing him rather cautiously. Lok gave Sophie a knowing look out of the corner of his eyes and inwardly wondered whether she was a seeker just like them, or if she wasn't even aware of what kind of power the item she carried with her was holding.

Sophie seemingly shared his thoughts and cleared her thoughts, giving the blue eyed female an amiable smile.

"May I ask where you got it from?" Sophie inquired in a friendly matter, inwardly hoping that she wouldn't ask any questions regarding their curiosity.

Fortunately, she only gave them a watchful glance before she looked back down at the ring.

"It's a family heirloom." She informed the two with a sigh, a reminiscing look entering her eyes. Sophie's eyes softened and Lok bit the inside of his cheek. The two of them knew how much a family heirloom could mean to one and judging by the artifact, she seemed to be coming from a family of seekers as well.

"I see." Sophie nodded. "So you got it ever since you were a child. Did anything happen ever since you got it?" Sophie asked Sara who now ripped her gaze away from her ring and looked over to Sophie.

"No." She lifted an eyebrow at her question. "Was something suppose to happen?"

Sophie shook her head and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear, lightly kicking Lok beneath the table.

She seemed sincere and obviously wasn't aware of the power the ring held, and that was more dangerous than actually knowing about titans and seekers.

If she would be walking around with the titan and were to be attacked, she would be unable to defend herself and put herself in danger without even knowing that she does so herself.

"No, I was just curious." Sophie finally assured her and returned her gaze back to the front of the classroom just in time to see that the principal was now leaving the classroom.

Their history teacher Miss Summers cleared her throat in order to gain the classes attention, straightening her back while her face turned back to its original stern state.

"Silence." She demanded curtly and surprisingly, the class did as told in a heartbeat. She then gave them a nod out of approval before she grabbed her notebook from her desk.

"Now that everything is taken care of, let's proceed with our lesson."

The rest of the day fortunately flew by rather fast for Lok and Sophie and before they knew, they were on their way back to Sophie's mansion. The couple was comfortably chatting with each other as they were walking down the familiar streets of Venice, enjoying the presence of the others.

It was when they had almost reached Sophie's mansion that Lok's keen eyes caught a familiar figure in between the crowds of people.

"Hey Soph, isn't that Sara over there?" Lok spoke surprised, pointing towards her back. Sophie's eyes looked over to where the blonde was pointing at and tilted her head slightly as she caught side of their new classmate.

"I think so. I didn't think she would live nearby though, I can't recall having seen her before." Sophie wondered with a light frown.

"Same here." Lok agreed as he looked back to Sara. He was about to call her and ask, but just then he noticed two men closing in on her from behind. They were keeping their distance, but it still was obvious that they were intending on getting close to her. She didnt seem to have noticed and kept on walking, oblivious to what was going on.

That didn't mean any good.

Upon taking a closer look at the two men that were steadily getting closer and closer to Sara, Lok's eyes widened out of surprise as he realised that he had missed a rather important detail of the two. Lok wondered how he didn't notice before and narrowed his eyes, his senses on high alert now.

"Sophie, one o clock." Lok mumbled under his breath and kept an close eye on the female, trying not to lose her out of sight.

The emerald eyed Casterwill did as told and looked over to Saras right, frowning at the sight that greeted her.

"Suits?" She exclaimed under her breath, genuinely surprised. At first, she thought that it may have been a normal person who wore a suit because of their work what wasnt uncommon but it was when her eyes caught the sight of an amulet hanging from one's pocket that she was sure that they were Organization suits. She didn't think that there still were suits walking around in Venice, especially this close to their homes.

"They seem to be after Sara." Lok told her in a hushed whisper, his pace fastening slightly as he noticed that said female had turned a corner, the two suits following right behind.

Sophie gave him a nod out of agreement before the two if them started to sprint after them, hoping to reach her in time.

They turned the corner and run down the street as they noticed that there was no sign of either of them.

"Damn, where are they?" Lok muttered as his eyes scanned the street in hope of catching a glimpse of her but unfortunately, there was no trace of her or the suits.

"We have to hurry. These suits are not to be played with, especially since Sara is no seeker." Sophie reminded him as she started to walk down the rest of the street, Lok following her right away.

They were about to turn another corner when they suddenly picked up the sound of a spell hitting a wall. Lok and Sophie didn't hesitate and run straight towards the source of the noise and entered the small alley where it came from.

It didn't take them long until they reached the three of them and the scene that greeted them was anything but pleasant.

Sara was on the ground, holding her bleeding arm in pain as she looked at the suits with her blue eyes wide in fear. StandIng in between the suits was a Boneleasher, growling menacingly at the frightened girl while one of the suits was already having another spell ready in the palm of his hand. Lok knew that those suits would not hesitate to use brutal force in order to get what they wanted and thus, they had to act quick.

"Hey you idiots!" Lok called as they came to an halt right behind the suits, trying to gain their attention. "Get away from her and fight someone on your level!"

It seemed to have worked because the suits were now looking at the duo with a scowl. Sophie saw the look of recognition that washed over their faces upon seeing them and she couldn't help but smirk.

At least they knew who they were going to be up against.

"Foundation." The right one muttered under his breath, grimacing out of disgust towards the two of them. The taller and seemingly older suits frown grew more prominent and clutched his amulet tightly.

"You're going to regret having messed with the Organization." He spoke with a growl, taking a step towards them as an intimidating matter.

Lok though seemed anything but intimidated and instead, rolled his eyes with a sigh at their words.

"That's what you always say and then, you end up in the trash." Lok smiled innocently at them and dodged the spell that was suddenly flying towards them.

They didn't seem to take the truth well, Lok concluded with a slump of his shoulders as he straightened his back and stood upright.

"Oh well, don't say I didn't warn ya." Lok said with a shrug. He went into his fighting position and shot Sophie a look out of the corner of his eyes.

"Soph, you know what to do right?" He asked the Casterwill, earning a huff from said female. She also went into her fighting stance and raised both of her wrists, openly glaring at the suits.

"Of course I do." She returned with a roll of her eye, slightly insulted that he had to ensure himself of her skills.

Sophie was the first one to move.

She lifted her hand and narrowed her eyes as she concentrated on the task at hand. She then closed her eyes and allowed the familiar rush of power to run through her veins.

"Come to our aid, Sabriel!" Sophie called through her bond and watched how the titan materialised herself in front of her, guardIng her out of instinct.

She heard a gasp and looked down to Sara who eyes Sabriel with wide eyes, her mouth lightly agape and Sophie couldn't help but pity the girl. She was already hurt and scared and now that she had seen that Sophie herself possesses this kind of power, she must be even more scared.

"Sabriel,take care of the titan. Me and Lok will handle the rest." Sophie told her titan through their mental bond and saw how Sabriel gave her a nod in return. The warrior titan then took off towards the boneleasher and that was when the battle began.

Lok followed right after and took on one of the suits whereas Sophie moved to stand in front of Sara, blocking her from the suits while she blocked the spell that was being shot towards her.

"Honor guard!" The barrier surrounded the two females and blocked the Augerfrost from the suit. Sophie allowed the barrier to fade back into air right after and instantly planned her next attack.

"Bolt flare! " Sophie called and aimed the spell towards the suit who swiftly jumped out of harms way. Sophie had predicted hos move though and lifted her leg to land a kick right at his chin.

The suit stumbled back out of surprise and held his chin in pain, his black sunglasses having fallen down already.

"You brat!" He growled and stormed towards her, his now black glowing fist aiming for her head and Sophie immediately recognized the spell as Venomhand.

She dodged his punch and grabbed his wrist tightly before she used all of her strength and painfully turned it, producing a loud cracking sound in the process as she twisted his arm behind his back.

Before he was able to do as much as struggle, Sophie kicked him in the spine which resulted him flying towards the opposite stone-wall, his head colliding with the solid material before his now unconscious body slid down to the ground.

Sophie winced at the shout of pain and knew that it would probably haunt her for the next hours before she scanned the area. Lok had just knocked out the other suit and she saw how Sabriel charged towards the boneleasher, her sword slicing through the titan that resulted with it returning to its owners amulet.

Sabriel rose from her crouched position and turned to look at Sophie who gave her a grateful smile in return.

"Thank you Sabriel." Sophie mumbled grateful, genuinely appreciating her titans effort who in return inclined her head.

Sophie then called her back and felt how the familiar energy returned to her body. Lok and her exchanged a small smile before Sophie remembered the reason as to how it all started.

The strawberry blonde haired seeker turned around and immediately caught sight of the injured female who was now staring at the two of them in obvious fright. Her breathing was uneven and she still clutched the bleeding wound on her arm tightly, a small cut gracing her cheek while her eyes were open wide.

Sophie's eyes softened out of sympathy and moved to take a step towards her, but Sara's eyes widened even wider upon seeing her closing in on her.

"S-stay away from me!" She called as she pressed herself against the wall, eyes fixed on both Lok and Sophie.

Lok was now standing next to Sophie and eyed the brunette with pity filled eyes. He knew just too well how she was feeling, having once been in the exact same position as she was currently in.

All the fright and confusion she was most likely feeling right now would only make it harder for her to trust them, and Lok knew that it would take a while until everything would sink in.

"Sara, I know that you are scared." Sophie spoke calmly as she took a small step towards her. "But you are safe now. We are here to help you and not to harm you." Sophie tried to convince her. Sara merely frowned in return, seemingly trying to calm her breathing as she bit her lower lip out of anger.

"And I am supposed to believe you after what had just happened?" She questioned with a disbelieving scoff, her eyes still holding the fear they previously did. After what she had just seen, they couldn't possibly expect her to trust them just like that.

"Trust me, I know how you feel right now but you are hurt and we only want to help. Come with us and I promise that we will explain everything." Lok suggested gently, offering her a hand.

Sara looked at Lok's hand and debated whether or not to take it. It was true that they had saved her from the guys who had attacked her and yet, the seemed to be of the same kind so there was no guarantee. She was confused, scared and didn't know what exactly was going on but she knew that a confrontation between her and the couple was bound to happen sooner or later, especially since they were in one class after all.

Sara eventually reached out and accepted Lok's hand, feeling herself getting pulled onto her feet right after.

Lok and Sophie both gave her a small smile and Sara merely avoided their gazes in retuen, still wary of the two of them. She wasn't going to trust them just like that after what she had just witnessed and was going to hear the explanation first before she were to act too reckless.

"Alright then, let's get going."

 **A/N:** And anorher chapter is finished! It took ages to come up with a name for my OC! I hope that you liked this chapter. If you did, please review. Every single one is appreciated:)


	9. Running

**A/N:** Hey there! I tried my best to finish this chapter as soon as possible but since it turned out to be longer than expected, I decided to split it into two.

This chapter contains some rather important information regarding the future chapters so please don't skip any part!

Another thing is that I feel like that with each chapter I post, I am getting fewer reviews what is quite unfortunate and leaves me wonder what the reason behind it is.

So as always, please **review** and tell me what you thought of the chapter. Thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far,I appreciate your support and I hope that you all enjoy this chapter as well!:)

* * *

 **CHAPTER 9**

The trio headed back to Sophie's mansion in an uncomfortable silence, with no words were being exchanged. Sophie figured that it would be best to let Sara sort her thoughts herself before they were to explain anything, so she pointedly remained silent.

It took a couple of minutes before they reached the mansion and as soon as they were standing in front of the door, Lok noticed the way that Sara looked at the building, her eyes wary. Sophie's hand encircled the doorknob before she pushed the wooden door, opening it without any effort as she walked in.

Lok and Sara followed Sophie inside, the latter more hesitant, and eye couldn't help but eye the huge building in mild curiosity. It was simple, yet beautiful and if Sara were to bluntly guess judging by the mansions appearance, Sophie had to be coming from a wealthy family.

"Quite big huh?" Lok commented lightly, the corner of lips curling up into a smile upon seeing the way she eyed the building in surprise.

Sara's head turned towards Lok, not having expected him to speak up, before she gave the blonde a slow nod in return, her eyes roaming the huge hallway they were walking through.

Sara had walked past this mansion once or twice already, but she would have never expected either Lok or Sophie to live in there. Neither of them were giving off the aura that most of the other rich people did and instead, even went as far as approaching her by their own. She wondered if it had anything to do with what had happened during the fight back in the alley.

The trio kept on walking down the hallway and entered the big living area. Upon walking in, they were greeted by the sight of the elderly butler who was sitting on a desk in one of the corners, his back facing them. He was surrounded by staples of paper and the dim green light of the electronic device called Holotome was placed next to him.

Sophie eyed the man and a small pang of pity filled her. He always had to take care of the paper work and yet, she hadn't heard him complain even once.

The caramel-haired female gently cleared her throat, hoping not to startle him by their sudden presence.

LeBlanche's body stiffened and he turned to look over his shoulder, light surprise in his eyes as he wondered how it could have slipped his mind that Sophie and Lok were due to arrive.

What caught his instant interest though was the companion they had brought along, the unfamiliar face purposefully avoiding his gaze as her icy blue eyes were seemingly glued to the ground.

The elderly seeker rose from his seat and closed the Holotome shut, turning around to properly face the three of them."Welcome back from school." LeBlanche greeted them as polite as always, a gentle smile on his face as he caught Sophie's gaze.

Said female immediately returned his smile, her emerald eyes lightening up upon seeing him whereas Lok gave him a small wave of his hand, a carefree grin on his lips.

"Thank you LeBlanche." Sophie spoke, grateful for his mere presence.

LeBlanche's eyes then slid over to the brunette female who now mustered up all of her courage to look the butler in the eye, trying not to show any weakness.

The elderly seeker immediately noticed the flash of determination in her eyes and couldn't help but smile at her, sensing how her previous discomfort was slowly fading away and instead, was getting replaced by pure fortitude.

"I see that you have brought a friend along." LeBlanche commented affably as he looked back to the young couple, his orbs holding nothing but kindness. Out of the corner of his eye, he suddenly noticed how Sara tensed upon getting mentioned and unconsciously tightened her grip on her injured should. LeBlanche narrowed his eyes as his gaze fell onto the hand that was gripping the material tightly, his body freezing upon seeing that her shirt was drenched in blood while his smile faltered in an instant.

"Oh my, what happened to you?" He inquired, obviously concerned for her well-being despite of having just met her. His eyes caught Lok's gaze right after his exclamation and saw how his eyes were filled with solid uncertainty, a sigh escaping the blonde.

"Some suits were after her." Lok informed him grimly, his tight on the strap of his backpack tightening at the memory. LeBlanche frowned, Lok's unexpected words having taken him off guard before he looked back to the female who was now pointedly averting her eyes from him.

"Don't worry LeBlanche." Sophie suddenly interjected. "We'll take care of her."

LeBlanche eyed the young Casterwill heiress with worried eyes, his lips tightly pursed. He knew that Sophie's words were to be trusted and that she very well knew how to take care of herself, just like Lok, but the mere fact that the organization had attacked them was enough to concern him.

After a moment of silence had passed the four, the butler gave them a reluctant sigh."I will leave it to you then. If you need anything, don't hesitate to call me." LeBlanche's worry filled eyes lingered on Sara for another moment before he turned to look at Sophie.

She gave him a confident nod and watched how LeBlanche, obviously hesitant, moved to exit the room.

The trio was once more on their own and without any more delays, Lok walked over to the love-seat, slumping down as he exhaled a breath of satisfaction.

Sophie shook her head as she watched Lok making himself feel at home before she turned to look at her female companion

"Have a seat Sara." Sophie kindly offered, mustering up a smile which she send towards the brunette.

Sara eventually followed Lok's example and sat down on the couch opposite of the love-seat, her expression still holding signs of her former hesitance.

Sophie made her way towards the love-seat and took a seat on it's armrest next to Lok, her emerald eyes catching the blonde's blue ones as a silent conversation passed between the two of them. Sara seemed to feel more and more uncomfortable with every moment that passed, shifting lightly in her seat as her gaze unsurely fell onto one item of the room to the other.

The small sound of the clock that hung on the wall of the living room was the only sound audible, only worsening the palpable tension that engulfed the three before Sophie finally cleared her throat.

"I am sure that you have a lot of questions." Sophie calmly began, her eyes catching the brunettes pair of blue one's while she steadily held her gaze ."We promise to answer every question you have but first allow me to explain, maybe then some of your questions will already be answered." Sophie suggested composedly, silence following her words.

Sara bit her lower lip and considered Sophie's words for a moment, mentally debating whether it would be worth it or not, before she slumped her shoulders and gave Sophie a small sigh in return.

"Alright, I'll listen." Sara relented and moved to cross one slender leg over her other, now attentively looking at Sophie.

Sophie inwardly heaved a sigh of relief at her response and considerately relaxed at her words. She had expected her to be more stubborn and for the conversation to get way more complicated, especially since Sara was most likely in some state of shock. The brunette took it strangely well, much to their surprise considering that she had just gotten attacked and witnessed the fight.

It spoke of a strong character and if she were to actually accept it all after Sophie's explanation, Sophie doubted that they wouldn't have to go through the trouble of calling Dante to cast simple mind on her.

"Well, where should I start." Sophie mused out aloud, genuinely wondering with which part she should begin her explanation for the recent event.

After using a moment to collect her thoughts, Sophie straightened her back and returned her attention to Sara.

"For starters, I assume that you wonder _what_ we are." The emerald eyed seeker started seriously, holding solid eye-contact with the blue-eyed female. "We are called seekers. Seekers possess the ability of using spells, such as the ones you have seen us using in the battle against the two men dressed in suits who have attacked you. We're also able to call creatures such as the one the suit summoned, which are called titans that reside in amulets, like this one." Sophie reached under her shirt and pulled out the Sorcerell amulet that was hanging around her neck, glistening in a violet hue in her grip.

Sara eyed the amulet rather cautiously and bit the inside of her cheek, remembering the titan that one of the suits had called. It didn't look inviting at all and the mere thought of people willingly carrying these titans around with themselves.

"There are two kind of seeker in this world." Sophie went on, neatly tucking her amulet back under her shirt in the process. "Seekers that are working _for_ the Foundation and Seekers that are working _against_ it. The Foundation is a confederation of adventurers and historians who's goal is to defend the world and those who aren't aware of the world of seekers and titans against the evil seekers. _Their_ goal is the world domination and they are willing to do anything in order to get it, whereas the Foundation is aiming to keep the world save from trouble and danger."

Silence engulfed the three after Sophie's brief explanation and the tension hung thick in the air, Lok and Sophie now openly watching Sara, waiting for any kind of reaction from her.

Sophie pointedly decided to only tell her the basics and avoided the topic of organization, not even thinking of mentioning the Blood Spiral just yet. She didn't want the poor girl to get all paranoid whenever she was going to leave her home.

Sara held Sophie's gaze and didn't utter a word, trying to process all the information she was being told by the Casterwill. She still felt like this all was a really bad dream and sincerely hoped that she would wake up every moment now, her heart-beat increasing with every moment that was passing by. All of this felt so _surreal_ and if it wasn't for her having witnessed it all with her own eyes, she would have laughed if someone else were to tell her all of this, calling them insane for even coming up with such an absurd idea.

Unfortunately, it didn't seem to be the case for Sara and all of this was the painful reality, no matter how much she wanted to deny it.

Sara gritted her teeth and closed her eyes, clenching her fists tightly in order to relief some of her stress before she inhaled deeply, trying hard to calm herself. These were a lot of things to take in and she didn't know whether it would ever fully sink in either, she still had a hard time dealing with the thought.

"So the people who have attacked me with their strange monsters-"

"Titans." Lok corrected Sara with a small smile.

Sara sighed at Lok, a small hint of annoyance filling her eyes. "Right, titans. So these suit guys were seekers as well." Sara carefully clarified and watched how the couple gave her a nod as a response, just as she had expected them to.

"And you are seekers as well." She once more stated, her gaze sharpening the slightest of bits and this time, Sophie narrowed her eyes lightly. She didn't know what Sara was trying to get at but it didn't seem like it was anything good either.

"We are." Lok spoke, giving her a nod before Sophie was able to do as much as utter a word. "But we aren't like them. We are what you would call the good guys." He swiftly added, hoping that her reaction would be different than his own had been. He distantly recalled how he wanted to simply forget what had happened when he had found out about all of this back then, but Dante swiftly prevented him from leaving, saying that he already was part of this world.

This time, Sara's eyes visibly narrowed and she looked at the two with a small glint of discomfort and mild anger in her eyes.

"And you expect me to believe you just like that?" Sara inquired suspiciously, her back straightening. "I am not that naive. You could attack me the next moment for all I know and could be the bad ones, not them." She pointedly reminded them, her voice now laced with obvious distrust towards the two of them.

Sophie now openly frowned, crossing her arms above her chest as she pursed her lips into a thin line. She couldn't believe what she was hearing from the brunette that was seated opposite of them. They had saved her not even an hour ago and she still dared to doubt them and question which side they were on?

"We just saved you Sara, isn't that proof enough?" Sophie asked miffed, visibly insulted upon being suspected as the threat. She was the heiress of the Casterwill for crying out loud!

Sara shook her head with a small huff, rising from her seat on the couch as she let go of her shoulder, icy blue eyes firmly settled on the two while her expression was holding clear displeasure.

"It can be a trick of yours." Sara curtly returned, forehead furrowed. She was confused, angry and most of all exhausted and she most certainly didn't have the nerves for all of this either. Titans, Seekers, Spells? Ridiculous. She just wanted to stay out of it all and go home where she would try to forget the days happenings. Her life was already stressing enough, she didn't need all of this on top of that.

Sara saw how Sophie opened her mouth to reply, but she was faster and lifted a hand in the air, her glare solidly settled on Sophie.

"You know what, I don't care. No more monsters, no more seekers and no more secret societies. I am sick of it, you don't have any idea what today has been like for me!" Sara snapped angrily, her gaze hardening in an instant while she felt her pulse rising.

Lok suddenly felt how his heart made a painful skip as he heard Sara saying the exact same words he did when Dante had told him about all of it as well. The blonde knew how hard it was and how much it was to take in, but he also knew best that if she were to leave this room now in order to leave all of it behind, it would result no good. People were after her for a reason that was still unknown to them and since she was unable to defend herself in case of another attack, she would be an easy victim for whoever was after her.

"Sara-" Lok began softly, but she simply shook her head and swiftly grabbed her backpack, throwing it over her uninjured shoulder.

"No, I don't want to see these suit guys or titan things _ever_ again." Sara walked past where Lok and Sophie were sitting but Sophie was faster and stood up, moving to block her way before she was able to exit the room.

Sophie crossed her arm above her chest with a frown and looked at Sara, her eyes showing that she was obviously displeased by the blue-eyed girls behavior.

"Where do you think you are going?" Sophie inquired with a frown, emerald eyes shining dangerously in the light that peered through the window. Sara narrowed her eyes, mirroring her expression as she gritted her teeth.

"I'm going to leave, I don't want to have anything to do with all of this." Sara snapped frustrated and moved to sidestep Sophie. She was about to leave the room but just then Sophie's hand shot out and grabbed her wrist to prevent her from taking another step towards the exit.

"Sara hold on-" She called in order to stop her but as soon as she had uttered these words, she felt a familiar sensation washing over her body.

Her eyes widened upon identifying the tingling feeling that was softly running over her skin, the realization of what was going to happen next dawning her too late. Sara whirled around and harshly ripped her wrist out of Sophie's tight grip and gritted her teeth.

"Just leave me alone!" Sara exclaimed crabbed and in the next moment, Sophie went flying back. The Casterwill let out a surprised gasp as she crashed against the opposite wall, falling onto the ground with a thud afterwards. Sophie held her head with one of her hands while she used the other to prop herself up, looking at Sara with wide eyes that were filled with nothing but plain surprise.

"Sophie!" Lok called concerned, rushing over to Sophie's side in an instant upon seeing her getting hurled against the stone wall. He kneeled down next to her and turned his head to look at Sara, his expression mirroring Sophie's own. Lok hadn't expected her to be able to use spells yet, but it seemed like something in her had snapped that unconsciously made her release her powers without her realizing so. If this really was the case, there was no way how they could allow Sara to leave on her own yet. It would be way too dangerous.

He assumed that Sara didn't expect it to happen either, the expression on her face that greeted him as he looked over to her holding pure fright as she stared down at her hands with wide eyes.

"Sara-" Lok once more started, intending to assure her that it only was an accident and no actual harm was done but Sara was faster and swiftly turned around, dashing out of the room and running straight into the hallway.

Her heart was pounding hardly against her rib-cage, the rush of adrenaline that was running through her veins giving her the needed energy to keep on running after what had just happened. Her breathing was uneven and she felt how her heart clenched at the realization of what she had just done, a nauseous feeling overcoming her.

"Wait!" She heard Lok's faint call in the distance but she pointedly ignored it, trying to make out in which direction she had to run in order to get to the entrance door of the mansion.

Sara followed her instincts and tried to make out the blurry images that filled her mind from when they have entered the building, trying to remember which was to go, but she didn't get to run far. Sara moved to turn a corner but as soon as she did so, it turned out to be a fatal mistake as she felt herself crashing into someone, resulting her stumbling back and falling onto the hard ground.

She winced in pain upon feeling the stinging sensation in her shoulder growing more intense and immediately sat upright, propping herself up on her elbows as her eyes fell onto the person she had unfortunately crashed into.

Looking confusedly back at her was a boy at her age who seemed to have fallen down in the process just as she had. His brown eyes looked at her in confusion as he rubbed his head while he muttered inaudibly under his breath.

The boy's eyes suddenly narrowed as he noticed that he had crashed into a person he was not familiar with and immediately tensed upon realizing that he hadn't seen her as much as once before.

"Who are you?" He asked, obviously confused with a slight hint of suspicion in his tone.

Sara opened her mouth to reply out of habit but shut it as soon as she realized what she was about to do, inwardly cursing herself as she put her defenses back up. He could be one of these seekers for all she knew and she really didn't need any more troubles with them, her first priority being to get out of there before they would catch her.

Suddenly remembering the reason as to why she was rushing to get out in the first place, she suppressed the urge of face-palming herself in order to remain focused.

Rather swiftly, Sara stood up from her position on the floor and didn't even bother to give the boy another glance as she started to sprint down the hallway, past the person who was now eyeing her in obvious disbelief.

"Hey!" The boy called irritably after her retreating form but Sara paid it no mind and concentrated on the task at hand, which was getting out of there as fast as possible.

The boy stood up from his place on the ground and rubbed his head, shooting another confused glance over his shoulder before he turned to enter the living room. He had asked LeBlanche where his teammates were and upon being told that they were in the living-room, he didn't waste any time and decided to pay them a visit.

"Guys, there was a girl running-" He started to inform the two as he entered the room but he stopped in mid-sentence at the sight that greeted them.

Lok was helping Sophie upright who was holding her temples in pain before he moved to lead her towards the sofa.

Their heads shot up upon hearing Den's voice and Lok's eyes widened in relief upon seeing his teammate, who had a surprisingly good timing for once.

"Den, you have to get her before she leaves the mansion." Lok told him in a rush, the urgency in his voice confusing Den all the more.

"Why?" Den asked with a frown, clearly not understanding what all the hectic was about but Lok merely rolled his eyes and shot him an impatient glare.

"No time for explanations! Just hurry, but don't hurt her!" Lok called, heaving a sigh of relieve as he saw Den giving him a nod before he left the room, albeit still confused.

Den took off into the direction where he had originally come from and crushed into the girl, wondering who she was in the first place. It wasn't like Lok and Sophie to bring some random classmates home with them, and that also didn't explain the fact as to why Sophie looked like she just got run over by a car, not to mention the girl that was running towards the exit like a maniac.

Den sped down the corridor and inwardly hoped that he would catch her in time. Her identity was still a mystery to him but if Lok had specifically told him not to hurt her, he guessed that she couldn't be a spiral or any person of that kind.

What was a good thing, he assumed. If spirals were to get through the barrier that was placed around Sophie's mansion there was no place where they would be safe at anymore.

He turned another corner and dared to smirk out of triumph as he saw how his target was running towards the entrance door of the mansion, seemingly oblivious to Den's presence. She was close to reaching the door and Den concluded that she would be able to get out of the mansion if he wouldn't think of something, _fast_.

"Nimblefire." Den spoke in a whisper, trying not to alert her of his presence just yet as he felt the familiar rush of energy engulfing his legs, lending him the speed necessary to catch up on her.

Sara's hand reached out to touch the handle of the door, her fingers mere inches away from grasping the golden handle but just as she was about to do so, a blurry form rushed past her and blocked the door with it's own body, an arm shooting out to the left to completely block her way.

Sara gasped out of plain surprise, her blue eyes shot upwards just to see that the same boy whom she had crashed into mere moments ago was now blocking the door and her last possible way out.

Den looked at the girl with an eyebrow arched as he leaned with his back against the wooden door, his head lightly tilted aside as he eyed her curiously. He noticed how her eyes were wide in surprise and her lips were lightly parted, obviously not having expected him.

"Where do you think you're going?" Den inquired curiously, crossing his arms above his chest while he locked his gaze with hers.

It took Sara another moment to comprehend what had just happened before she narrowed her eyes at the tone he was using, her body tensing at the light smugness that laced it. She had no nerves to deal with any further obstacles regarding her way out and most certainly was in no mood for games either.

"Move." Sara curtly demanded, her patience obviously running thin as she mustered up a glare, frankly directing it towards the male who didn't seem to be intending to move anytime soon.

Den's other eyebrow also shot upwards at her sudden change in attitude, her sudden hostility towards him leaving him mildly surprised.

He then tapped one of his fingers against the door frame, pretending to consider her words for a moment before he shook his head."Sorry but I can't do that." He told her, not sounding the least bit apologetic about it as he shrugged. "You didn't answer my previous question either."

Sara bit her tongue, knowing that he referred to the question he had asked her back in the hallway when she had first run into him, and couldn't help but feel the pang of annoyance that hit her.

She didn't have the time for any of this and needed to get out of there. She didn't even know who he was in the first place nor what reason he would have to keep her from leaving.

She closed her eyes and exhaled deeply, her fist tightly clenched at her side. "It's none of your business, now would you mind moving out of my way?" Sara was beyond frustrated by now, desperately trying to stay composed, despite of how hard it was to do so.

Den noticed the way her lips were tightly pursed and her eyebrow ticked at his deliberate provocation, only perking his concealed amusement.

"As far as I am concerned you are in _my_ friends mansion so yes, it is _my_ business whether you like it or not." Den pursed his lips. "And in fact I do mind. I don't know what's going on here but Lok and Sophie wanted to speak to you, so it would make it easier and considerably less complicated for all of us if you would stop trying to leave and come back with me." Den explained in a rather stern matter, concluding that it would not be easy to convince her to return with him.

Sara snorted, seemingly not even considering his words as she maintained her solid gaze on him. She didn't know what it was, but something about this boy didn't sit well with her and she was growing more and more annoyed by him with every moment that passed by. His attitude was not helping it all either and Sara wondered what she had ever done to deserve to be in a situation like this.

"No thanks." Sara declined in a mutter, her blue eyes glistening dangerously in the sunlight that was shining through the tall glass window next to the door.

Den's brows furrowed at her response and he heaved a sigh, slowly shaking his head at her words.

His brown orbs caught her blue one's and suddenly, a cold shiver run down Sara's spine, the air around them growing tense and she couldn't help but wonder if she had made a mistake.

"You leave me no other choice then." Den feigned to sound remorseful but the amusement that sparkled in his eyes brown eyes betrayed his tone.

He took a step forwards so that they were only an inch apart and before Sara was able to realize what was happening, he reached out to caress her temple and closed his eyes afterwards, feeling how her body tensed under his touch.

"Darksleep." He whispered the spell so softly that she almost didn't hear it but as soon as the words went past his lips, he felt her body growing limp.

Out of instinct, Den wrapped his arms around her slim waist and held her upright, preventing her body from hitting the floor.

Den heaved a small sigh while he lifted the unconscious form of the brunette into his arms, shifting her until he was sure that he had a steady grip on her before started to make his way back to Lok and Sophie, that were probably anticipating his arrival already.

Den entered the hallway and mildly wondered how he he had gotten into a situation such as this one in the first place, the intention of his visit to retrieve the Holotome that he and Zhalia had forgotten at the mansion.

He shifted the limp form of the brunette in his arms and dared to take a small glance down at the girl in his arms. Her head was settled in the crook of his neck, her arms limply hanging down at her side whereas her lips were lightly parted and she inhaled soft, even breaths.

Den couldn't help but admit that despite of the spell having taken its effect on her, she looked more peaceful and calm than she did before.

He tore his eyes away from her form and wondered what it was that had caused her to run away from Lok and Sophie in the first place.

She seemed to be awfully frustrated and eager to leave the mansion, what only perked his curiosity even further. Something must have happened to have caused this kind of reaction, Lok and Sophie obviously being part of the reason for her desire of leaving the building.

It wasn't long until he finally reached the living-room and indeed, Lok and Sophie where both sitting on the sofa, having looked over to the door upon hearing footsteps. Lok and Sophie were both sitting on the couch, Lok caressing Sophie's head while the light of Everheal engulfed his hands. The two of them gave a relieved sigh upon seeing that Den had succeeded in getting Sara before she managed to get out.

"That was close." Lok breathed out of relief, lowering his hands as he allowed the spell to fade around his hands. Sophie moved from where she was sitting next to Lok and stood up, her eyes falling onto the unconscious form of Sara in Dens arms, her expression turning into a lightly worried frown.

"What did you-"

"Darksleep." Den swiftly interrupted Sophie, assuring her that he did as told and didn't do her any harm. He fully walked into the room and carefully placed Sara's limp body on the love seat that Lok had previously been sitting on.

Sophie gave him a small nod out of acknowledgment and walked over to stand next to Sara, taking in her peaceful expression. Now that Sophie was able to take a close look at her, she noticed the dark circles under her closed eyes. This day seemed to have taken a lot out of her and Sophie wasn't too keen on finding out how much arguing it had taken until Den decided to use Darksleep.

Sophie had to admit that in Sara's case, she assumed that it would be harder to convince her that not all seekers were bad, especially after her encounter with the suits and now Den.

"Now, would you mind telling me what exactly is going on and who she is?" Said male broke through her musings, slumping down on the armchair before he looked over to Lok for an explanation.

Lok slumped his shoulder and propped his elbow on his knee, his chin placed on top of his fist."Long story short, Sara-" He pointed at the unconscious female on the couch. "got attacked by suits and me and Sophie got her out of trouble, The catch: she isn't a seeker." Lok swiftly filled Den in, his blue eyes then sliding over to look at Sophie who shot him a long sideways glance.

Den gave a low huff out of mild surprise and turned his head to look at Sara's sleeping form, understanding slowly filling his brown eyes.

He had to admit that finding out about the existence of titans and the world of seekers in this kind of way was not pleasant, and he was speaking out of experience.

He now understood her former reaction and couldn't really blame her for acting this way either. It was a wonder that she didn't run out of the mansion while crying out of fright and panic, especially after having been targeted and witnessed a fight that involved both titans and spells.

"Well, what do we do now?" Den inquired after some moments of silence, averting his gaze from Sara and instead, turning to look at Sophie with a solemn expression.

Sophie in return lightly crossed her arms above her chest and slowly walked over to the window, looking out at the scenery that greeted her with a sigh.

There wasn't much they could do since Sara would probably not be willing to listen for a second time, especially since Den had used a spell on her in order to knock her out.

"We'll have to call Dante and Zhalia, they have to know about this."

 _Half an hour later_

 _The streets of Venice_

 _7PM_

Dante was walking down the streets of Venice, hands neatly tucked into the pockets of his trademark yellow coat as he was calmly heading towards Sophie's mansion.

He was dressed in his usual yellow coat, his amber eyes coolly roaming the busy streets from behind his green sunglasses.

He had just received a message from Lok saying that his presence was required. Something seemed to have happened that couldn't wait until tomorrow and thus, Dante grabbed his amulets and made his way towards the Casterwills mansion without wasting any more time.

Now that the possibility of the Spiral Mark being active was high, there was no guarantee that the members of his team were safe, especially since they were not aware of the possible threat and may act lightly reckless.

It took him ten more minutes until he had reached the large building, his eyes falling onto the familiar mansion where most of it had begun two years ago. He was gradually closing in on the door and prepared himself to knock, but he stopped upon noticing a familiar person out of the corner of his eye.

Mild surprise entered his eyes as he lowered his fist and tucked it back into his pocket, not having expected _her_ to be here as well.

He leisurely turned around to face the approaching form of none other than Zhalia, the corner of his lips curled upwards upon concluding that she didn't seem to have noticed him yet.  
"So they called you as well." Dante casually commented, his curiosity perked as his amber eyes caught her pair of mildly surprised hazel ones.

The raven-haired female lifted an eyebrow upon seeing him, obviously not having expected him to be here either. Zhalia had received a call from Den where he had told her that they needed her help and that it was urgent, so she didn't have much of a choice and decided to take care of it before there would be complications.

If they had also informed Dante though, what could be as important as that the entire team was needed?

Zhalia's brown eyes glistened in mild wonder."Do you have any idea what all of this is about?" She inquired, coming to an halt in front of him.

Dante shook his head in return and eyed the mansion with a small sigh before he returned his gaze to look to her, taking his pair of sunglasses off as he tucked it into one of his coat-pockets.

"I am just as clueless as you are." Dante admitted, giving her a small smile. "So let's find out, shall we?"

Dante turned around and raised his fist before he knocked at the wooden door, making sure that it was loud enough for LeBlanche to hear, in case he was in the back of the mansion. The two of them surprisingly didn't have to wait long until the door opened, LeBlanche greeting them with a smile as his eyes fell onto Zhalia to Dante.

"Mister Vale, Miss Moon, please come in." LeBlanche politely greeted before he ushered the two seekers inside, closing the door softly behind them. He then turned around to face the two with a small smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, and Dante's keen eyes didn't fail to notice the small hint of nervousness in the butlers aura.

"Lady Sophie and the others are already waiting for you in the living-room." LeBlanche swiftly informed the pair of elite seekers. Zhalia gave him a small nod in return, having also noticed the way the butler seemed more tense than usual, what never was a good sign.

"Thank you." She spoke curtly and watched how LeBlanche gave the two a small polite bow before he left them without another word, disappearing into one of the hallways of the mansion.

Dante lifted an eyebrow at the elderly seekers rather rushed departure but decided not to comment on it, a small nagging voice in the back of his head telling him that it most likely had to do with the reason why they got called by the teens in the first place. The two of them made their way towards the living room, walking in a comfortable silence until they reached the living-room.

Lok was sitting on the couch with Sophie seated next to him, the latter reading a book whereas the blonde was repeatedly tapping his feet on the ground, a habit of his that came to life whenever he was nervous or anticipating. Den was still sitting in the armchair, looking at what seemed to be some files on his Holotome, his expression serious.

Their heads shot up upon hearing someone entering the room and as they saw that it were their mentors, Lok smiled brightly out of relief.

"Finally." Lok breathed a sigh of relief, stopping the tapping of his feet upon realizing that their mentors had finally arrived.

Zhalia merely arched an eyebrow at Lok's words whereas Dante gave them one of his usual smiles in return. The older seekers didn't fail to notice that the atmosphere was surprisingly tense, and Zhalia instantly noted that something must have happened.

"Well team, is there any specific reason for this sudden team meeting?" Dante inquired with a small tilt of his head, his amber eyes resting on Lok who uncomfortably shifted in his seat.

He as well had noticed that something was going on and the mere fact that the three of them were pointedly avoiding his gaze was proof enough for him to believe that his suspicions were soon proven to be right.

Lok cleared his throat and turned to look at Dante and Zhalia, his expression displaying the unease he was feeling.

"We need some help." Lok eventually replied, his blue eyes noticing the way Zhalia frowned at his reply.

"Help with what?"She asked in return, forehead furrowed. She watched how Lok and Sophie exchanged a small glance before the former inhaled deeply, lifting his finger to point at the love-seat opposite of the one he was sitting on.

"With her."

Zhalia's eyes followed the direction where Lok's finger had pointed towards to and froze as her eyes fell onto the girl that was lying on the furniture, seemingly unconscious.

She took a step forwards, the sound of her heels clacking against the ground breaking through the sudden silence as she took a closer look at her.

She looked like she was around the teens age and to her she didn't seem familiar either, what could be considered both a good and bad thing. Zhalia always remembered the faces of the people she had encountered whether it were regardless of whether they were good or bad, but something that immediately gained her attention was the spell that laid upon her which she instantly identified as Darksleep.

Zhalia's hazel eyes slid back to Lok and the others, not bothering to hide her obvious disapproval of whatever they were planning on doing whilst she crossed her arms across her chest.

Dante's smile had also disappeared upon hearing Lok's words, being replaced by a light frown upon noticing the unconscious form, his amber eyes filled with wonder and surprise. He didn't know how he had missed her presence before but the mere fact that she was there, unconscious nonetheless, left him wondering what exactly had happened before his and Zhalia's arrival.

"Team, would you mind explaining who your friend over there is?" Dante inquired cautiously, eyeing the three closely who now seemed more than uncomfortable under his calculating gaze.

Sophie glanced at both Lok and Den and upon realizing that they were most likely not going to explain, she took it on herself to answer her mentors question.

"Her name is Sara and actually, we just met her this morning as well. She is a new student and after school we have seen some suits trailing her so we followed them." Sophie started, and Dante's eyes sharpened at a specific part of her explanation.

"Suits?" He asked curtly, earning a nod from Sophie in return.

"Yes, suits. They attacked her and since she isn't a seeker, she didn't take it well. Fortunately me and Lok arrived just in time and knocked them out before they were able to seriously harm her. We concluded that it would have been best to take her with us to explain. At first she agreed, but as soon as it all actually sunk in, she made a run for it." Sophie swiftly explained, Lok giving her a nod.

"She had the exact same reaction as I did when you told me Dante." Lok told his mentor with a sad expression, a flood of memories and past conflicted feelings washing over him.

Dante gave Lok a small nod out of understanding, clearly remembering the blondes reaction after they had defeated the suits. On that day Lok had made a decision that had a vital impact on his life and even though there was very little the Irish boy could have done, Dante still was glad that he didn't refuse and instead accepted it as best as he could. He had to admit that Sara's behavior was a natural reaction upon being confronted rather abruptly, and while a lot of today's seekers were raised with the knowledge of the existence of titans, spells and seekers in general, others did not have the same luck and were unfortunately forced to find out the hard way.

"You did the right thing." Dante eventually told the three of them, knowing that in this kind of situation the most important thing to do was to ensure the safety of the one who was being attacked, who in this case was Sara. If she really was no seeker then she couldn't have possibly defended herself on her own and if someone was after her, it wasn't safe for her to roam the city on her own especially after what she had just witnessed.

Zhalia leaned with her side against the back of the couch that Sara was laying on and crossed her arms, her eyes falling on Den. "And I assume that Den was the one who knocked her out after she tried to make a run for it." She guessed, shooting him a knowing look. Zhalia was sure that it was him who did it, the familiar sensation of the spell hanging thick in the air. Aside from her, Den was the only one who knew the spell and could actually use it, so it was not hard to figure out what must have happened.

It's been some time already, but this spell was one of the first ones he had requested to learn from Zhalia. It took some time until he had mastered it and it seemed as if it was the right decision to teach him if one were to consider their current situation. It surely came in handy and even though it takes a lot of time to learn, it was worth the trouble once you were able to use it.

Den gave Zhalia a small, sheepish smile and scratched his neck."She's quite stubborn and I couldn't come up with another way to stop her from leaving so I used darksleep." He defended himself, giving the unconscious brunette a small uneasy look while something flashed in his eyes, Zhalia immediately recognizing it as guilt.

That caught her interest in an instant. Den wasn't one to feel guilty for things such as this one, him always thinking before acting and considering the possible outcomes and consequences beforehand. Why he was feeling guilty for casting a harmless spell such as this one on her, however, left Zhalia wondering.

"It seems as if Den still has to learn a thing or two though." Lok pointed out as he looked over to where Sara was currently laying at. The others followed his gaze and noticed that the brunette lightly tensed, her breathing slowly becoming heavier what indicated that the spell was starting to wear off.

"Damn," Den muttered under his breath, having hoped that the spell was strong enough to last some more hours. "What now?" He hissed under his breath, careful not to fasten the process of Sara regaining her consciousness as he looked at both Dante and Zhalia.

"Someone has to talk to her." Lok said, his voice barely above a whisper. He knew that if Sara would wake up in a room filled with seekers and two additional strangers, things wouldn't turn out pretty.

Sophie gave a nod of agreement, siding with Lok in an instant as she now as well looked at the adults in question.

Dante pursed his lips, looking at the brunettes form for a series of moments before he turned to look to the right, his gaze falling on Zhalia.

He didn't need to utter a word for Zhalia to know what he was getting at and she held his gaze, her brown eyes filled with mild confusion.

Dante gave her a small smirk in return, knowing that she was mildly opposed to the idea he was proposing and watched her roll her eyes.

"I'll do it." The female relented, albeit reluctant. She considered herself the least best suited for the job and yet, she knew that they had no time for much arguing left before she were to wake up.

Sophie gave her a grateful smile, standing up from where she was seated next to Lok while Den and the blonde followed her example.

"Thanks Zhalia." Sophie spoke, grateful that the bluenette was willing to help them out.

Zhalia in return gave her a small nod before she fully walked into the room, leaning against the bookshelf that was placed against the wall opposite of the door with a small sigh.

She knew that there was very little she could have done to object, especially since they were running out of options, and couldn't help but frown upon seeing Dante's satisfied smirk.

Zhalia would make sure to take care of him later.

"Alright then. Now leave, things may not get pretty." She spoke with a sigh and watched how the rest of the team did as told, Lok giving her a thumbs up before he closed the door behind them with a silent thud.

Zhalia smiled grimly as she heard the door falling shut and couldn't help but shake her head at the situation she was put in.

 _Oh well, here goes nothing._


	10. Decision

A/N: Thanks for the reviews! I am glad to see that you liked it so far:) Also, thanks to my _guest_ reviewers _Carter Casterwill_ and _Saha_ for reviewing the past chapter(s), I appreciate it!

Anyways, I hope that you all enjoy this chapter as well. Please leave a **review** if you did.

Enjoy!

* * *

 **CHAPTER 10**

Sara slowly regained consciousness, the first thing she noticed being the darkness that surrounded her. She slowly lifted her heavy eyelids and tried to adjust her sight to the sudden light that filled the room, her brows knitted as she tried to get rid of the drowsiness of her system, her vision slowly clearing.

The brunettes forehead furrowed out of confusion as she realized that she was not in her room back in her flat, the unfamiliar surroundings instantly alarming her.

She tried to remember what had happened and how she ended up being unconscious and as if on cue, the day's events flashed in front of her very own eyes, a series of pictures entering her mind.

The attack, Lok and Sophie saving her, her trying to escape and her encounter with this strange boy, it all came over her like a flood of memories.

Her eyes widened out of realization that he must have knocked her out and she swiftly sat up, but as soon as she did so, a wave of dizziness overcame her. She grabbed the back of the couch she was sitting on and lifted her hand to hold her forehead, a small groan escaping her pale lips.

"Not one of your best ideas, huh?"

Sara's eyes widened, her head shooting up at a speed that could have easily snapped her neck as her eyes turned to search for the source of the voice.

Her blue orbs hastily roamed the room until they finally fell onto the form of a female that was leaning against the bookshelf, her arms crossed above her chest and her hazel eyes solidly fixed on her.

A small gasp of surprise escaped Sara's lips, her blood freezing in her veins as she realized that she wasn't on her own. Her entire body stiffened, all of her instincts screaming at her to get out but before she was able to do as much as blink, the woman spoke up again.

"The doors are locked with a spell, so don't even think about making a run for it again." Zhalia curtly informed her, seemingly reading her thoughts. She had guessed that Sara would think about escaping again, it being a natural instinct that everyone would probably listen to if they were to be in a situation like hers.

Sara opened her mouth but immediately shut it again, not finding her voice just yet. She suppressed the urge to gulp down the lump that had formed itself in her throat, her fists loosely balled at her sides as a certain word had caught her attention.

 _Spell?_

"You are one of them." She whispered in realization, a cold shiver running down her spine. That was not good, Sara inwardly concluded. If the doors really were locked and the woman's words were to be trusted, there would be no way out of there.

This woman didn't seem as nice as the others either, the aura of authority she gave off making Sara shift uncomfortably in her seat.

"I am." Zhalia curtly confirmed, her cold hazel eyes never leaving Saras frightened ones. She knew that the girl was most likely shocked, not to mention scared after what Lok and Sophie had told her happened, but there was no sugar-coating the situation she was in.

She had a right to be scared, the only experience she has had with seekers this far being bad ones.

Sara averted her eyes from Zhalia, icy blue eyes turning to look at the window whilst she sat upright.

"What is it that you want from me?" Sara softly inquired, the hint of frustration in her voice clearly audible. She was sick of running, getting chased and being stuck in this mansion. All she wanted was to leave, and never see any of these titans or spells again in her entire life. She wasn't even sure what it was that they wanted from her in the first place, and that didn't help either.

Zhalia couldn't refrain from arching a brow at her question. Sara was obviously still wary of them, not that she could blame her after what happened, but Zhalia didn't expect her to think that she was being locked in here for their own benefits.

"There isn't anything that we want from you." Zhalia callously clarified. "Though, it seems like you have caught the organizations interest." She watched how Sara's expression turned into a confused frown, her blue eyes moving to meet Zhalias hazel ones.

"These suit guys?" Sara inquired with a frown, faintly remembering the suits mentioning it before they attacked Sophie and Lok.

Zhalia gave her a curt nod. "Exactly." She affirmed, mildly impressed that Sara was able to catch on rather fast. She noted that even though the brunettes shoulders were still lightly stiff, she wasn't as tense as before. It was a good thing, she supposed, and maybe it would be less hard than she had expected it to be.

"I am not rich or own anything valuable, nor am I a seeker. What could people like this possibly want from me? "Sara wondered out aloud, the mere thought of her getting spied on and followed leaving her feeling distressed.

Zhalia pursed her lips into a thin line. She did have a point. It really was surprising and unsettling that the organization was now targeting non-seekers and even went as far as attacking seekers of the Foundation. She would have to talk to Dante about that, especially since there weren't supposed to be any incidents with Grier being the head of the organization. They weren't allies, but they have made an agreement of staying out of each others way.

"That's what we would like to know as well, but you trying to run straight into their arms is not helping." Zhalia firmly reminded her, eyes narrowing the slightest of bits. They wouldn't make any process if Sara would still refuse to at least be willing to cooperate with them until they would find out why they were after her. It was for her own good, but it didn't seem like she had realized it yet.

Sara couldn't help but frown at Zhalia's words, taking light offense. It wasn't like she purposefully tried to get herself killed, and when you're being told that people are after you and would even go as far as killing you for whatever reason there was, it was only normal for her to make a run for it.

"Well, what did you expect me to do? I am literally locked in this mansion with a group of strangers that all have these weird powers and titans. I don't know what else you're able to do and frankly said, I am not too keen on finding out either."

Zhalia remained indifferent, her impervious expression still firmly in place whilst a spark of impatience flickered in her eyes. She knew that Sara was loosing her calm, but it didn't help the matter at hand. The least thing Zhalia needed was to deal with an iffy teenage girl.

"If I would have wanted to kill you, I would have done so hours ago already." Zhalia returned coldly, her posture remaining as indifferent as before. It was true and she knew that Sara believed her words as well, but she also seemed to be quite a stubborn one.

Zhalia immediately noticed the shift in her aura and the way her fright was now slowly starting to get replaced by all the anger and frustration she had kept bottled up until now.

"Well good to know." Sara replied sarcastically, a small huff escaping her lips. "It still doesn't make things better though. I don't want to have anything to do with all of this, so why can't you guys just leave me alone?" She exclaimed, the frustration she was feeling radiating off of her in waves.

Zhalia's gaze sharpened and her expression displayed the displeasure she was currently feeling, her posture straightening.

"Sara, do you even realize in how much danger you are?" Zhalia inquired, the coldness of her tone making Sara shut her mouth close in an instant. There was no time to beat around the bush and if she didn't want to realize the seriousness of the situation on her own, Zhalia would gladly help to speed up the process.

"The organization is obviously after you and if you decide to leave this mansion without any proper protection, I can assure you that things will not get pleasant for you." Zhalia pushed herself off of the bookshelf and took a stride forward, stepping in the middle of the room. "You are unable to defend yourself and can't keep on running away from them either so it's up to you. Get killed and die of a pathetic and unnecessary death, or try to fight and defend yourself in order to survive. You can try to make a run for it, but believe me when I say that there is no escaping of it all once you are a part of this world. It's going to haunt you for the rest of your life so either accept the reality or spend the rest of your life in fear of getting killed."

Silence followed Zhalia's words, the tension hanging thick in the air. Zhalia knew that it wasn't a pretty way to convey the gravity of the situation, but it was necessary in order to make her realize that the situation she was in wasn't anything near pretty in the first place.

Sara tried to process Zhalia's words, having attentively listened to her every word and clenched her jaw tightly. There was no denying it, she knew that Zhalia was right and that she couldn't keep on running from her problems, no matter how much she wanted to.

It didn't mean that she was willing to accept everything that was getting thrown at her just yet though. Sara knew that the reality was harsh and that in a world like this, it was all about surviving. Life had already been hard enough for her, she didn't need any additional troubles and hardships but considering that her only options were either surviving or dying, she already knew that she had made a decision the moment she had decided to leave with Sophie and Lok.

Sara's blue eyes softened at the realization that she had no choice but to accept it all in order to avoid getting into any more fights with the so called organization, running from them or trying to avoid it all not being an option.

She bit her lower lip and slumped her shoulders, running a slander hand over her face before she turned to look at Zhalia, hesitance shining in her eyes.

Sara still didn't want to have anything to do with titans, spells or seekers in general, but she knew that in the end it was inevitable.

"I have no choice other than to become a seeker, do I?" Sara concluded with a sigh, shoulders slumping out of exhaustion and her posture becoming slack.

It wasn't like she completely and fevery opposed the idea of becoming a seeker, but she wanted to avoid this option until there was no other way.

Zhalia's eyes softened the slightest of bits upon realizing that Sara really tried to fight becoming a seeker. It was a surprise, especially since most accepted becoming one under way less dangerous circumstances, but Zhalia concluded that it also was a good thing.

She wouldn't recommend becoming a seeker to anyone who didn't have a relevant and important reason to. It wasn't all about adventures and fighting against the bad guys as most expect it to be and unfortunately, many still failed to realize that there was more to it.

It was exhausting and dangerous and without proper education regarding spells and titans, the chances of surviving in a world such as this one were very slim.

"As for now, you don't have to become a seeker if you don't want to." Zhalia eventually spoke, catching Sara by surprise. Her pair of blue eyes slid over to catch Zhalias gaze, the confusion that filled them glistening dimply in the light that was shining through the window.

"I don't?" She asked surprised, clearly not having expected to receive an answer such as this one from Zhalia. A part of her wanted to feel relieved upon hearing that, but another part warned her to be cautious and to now crow too soon. It surely wouldn't be easy to avoid becoming a seeker in a situation like this, so she didn't want to raise her hopes too high.

"As for now." Zhalia firmly repeated, a small sigh escaping her lips. "It all depends on the seriousness of the situation. We have to find out why the organization is after you and as until we know, there is no need for you to become a seeker as long as you don't decide to run off again."

Sara exhaled the breath she had been holding, a small rush of relief overcoming her. She was glad that she was able to receive some time to come on terms with her current situation before she would have to become a seeker if things weren't looking good.

It most certainly was a difference to the idea of becoming a seeker this instant, and she was sure that she wouldn't have the nerves for it either.

"Alright then." Sara finally yielded, mustering up her courage and giving Zhalia a small, yet genuine smile. "Thanks for buying me some time."

Zhalia, not having expected Sara to thank her for something like this, was lightly taken off guard. Her expression remained indifferent and she shifted her weight onto her other feet, the corner of her lips tilting up into a faint smirk as she inclined her head in a small nod.

"Got any more questions?" Zhalia asked, and Sara shook her head in return. As for now, there wasn't anything she was curious about or wanted to know.

"Alright, time to call the others. They are most likely waiting for the two of us already." Zhalia told her with a sigh, knowing that they were most likely going to bombard them with questions, especially the teens since Zhalia had used a spell that not only locked the door, but also created a soundproof barrier around it to prevent anyone to listen it.

Zhalia moved to take a step forwards, heading for the door and lifting her hand to call off the spell, but Sara's voice made her pause mid-air.

"Wait!" Sara swiftly called, holding up a hand to stop Zhalia from moving any further.

Zhalias head turned towards where Sara was sitting at, shooting her a mildly surprised as well as confused glance.

Sara, visibly uncomfortable, shifted in her seat and folded her hands in her lap, her gaze now fixed on the ground.

"Do we have to ? I mean we took care of most things already, didn't we?" She inquired cautiously, inwardly hoping that she wouldn't have to face Lok, and especially not Sophie after what had happened back at her failure of an escape.

She had to admit that even though it wasn't intentional, she still felt guilty for hurting Sophie. She barely knew her and Lok, and they only tried to explain what had happened to her.

Zhalia arched an eyebrow. "Why are you asking?" The bluenette inquired, her eyes narrowing out of confusion upon sensing Sara's discomfort.

"I may or may not have used a spell and hit Sophie, resulting her to fly against the wall." Sara cautiously drawled, wincing upon remembering the way Sophie's body collided with the wall. It really did seem painful and Sara wouldn't want to have switched bodies with her. "But it was an accident, I really didn't mean to!" She quickly assured Zhalia, her heart beat echoing loudly in her ears out of nervousness.

Zhalia watched Sara in confusion for a series of moments, her hazel eyes slowly filling with amusement as her smirk broadened.

"You managed to hit the princess?" Zhalia inquired, clearly impressed that Sara was able to land a hit on her, unintentional and with no experience of spells nonetheless. She faintly remembered how long it took Lok to properly cast a Boltflare, and even then he still had some troubles doing so from time to time.

Sara gave her a sheepish smile, scratching the base of her neck. "Unintentionally." She firmly reminded Zhalia, her posture still out of nervousness.

"If you're worried about her being mad at you, I wouldn't worry about that. If it really was unintentionally, then she won't bother." Zhalia told her. "Then again, it's Sophie we are talking about so even if she is mad, ignore it." She concluded with a sigh, knowing that Sophie had a tendency for causing drama for no particular reason.

Sara bit her lower lip before she gave a small sigh, a nod following right after upon realizing that there would be no way around.

"Alright." Sara mumbled, inwardly bracing herself for the worst.

Zhalia eyed her for another moment before she turned back towards the door, her hand glowing in a light-blue hue as she lifted it into the air.

A light glow surrounded the door and just as fast as it came, Sara watching it in mild curiosity. Zhalia then turned around and walked over to the armchair, sitting down and crossing one slender leg over the other, her gaze firmly fixed on the wooden door.

"Come in." She spoke, examining her nails as almost an instant later, the door flew open.

She didn't have to turn her head to know that it was Lok who had opened the door, obviously excited to see the result of Zhalias talk with Sara.

Indeed, standing in the doorway was no other than Lok Lambert, the blonde's eyes falling onto the two females that were both seated in the room, one shooting him a wary glance whereas the other seemed to pointedly ignore his presence.

Standing behind him were Den and Sophie, the former one leaning against the door frame like Zhalia had previously done whereas the latter peered over Lok's shoulder, equally as curious as to what the result was.

"So,uh, how did it go?" Lok inquired awkwardly, slowly walking into the room while he shot Zhalia, who still didn't bother to look up, a questioning glance out of the corner of his eye. The young seeker then took a seat on the couch where he and Sophie had previously been sitting on, Sophie following his example and taking a seat right next to him without uttering as much as a word.

"Good, obviously." Zhalia replied with a roll of her eyes, now turning to look at the blonde as the familiar small teasing glint entering her eyes.

Slowly, a grin formed itself on Lok's lips as he turned to look at Sara, eyes sparkling with surprise and excitement. "So you've decided to become a seeker?" Lok asked, the hint of hope in his voice clearly audible.

Sara merely shifted in her seat and shot Zhalia an uneasy glance out of the corner of her eye, her attention then shifting back to Lok.

"Not quite." She stiffly returned, watching how Lok's grin fell and his expression held clear confusion.

She couldn't blame him, she as well would probably be confused if she were to be in his position, which she luckily wasn't.

"What do you mean?" Lok asked, clearly not getting the point of what she was saying. Zhalia had said that it went well, so he had expected her to mean that Sara decided to become a seeker as well. Sophie as well shot Sara a questioning look whereas Zhalia massaged her temple, giving the two teens a pointed look.

"Just because she decided not to make a run for it again doesn't mean that she decided to become a seeker right away." She sternly reminded the two, hazel eyes solidly fixed on them.

"Exactly." Came another voice from the doorway, making five pairs of eyes turn to look at him.

Dante was standing in the doorway next to Den, wearing his usual professional expression while his amber eyes were looking at Sophie and Lok before they fell onto Sara.

"It's up to her whether she wants to become a seeker or not, and until we know more about who it is that's after her and why, there is no need for her to become one as well." Dante informed them, earning a couple of questioning glances in return.

Sophie frowned, clearly not understanding why Sara decided against becoming a seeker.

"So, what are we going to do next? She clearly doesn't know how to defend herself and the chances of her getting attacked a second time are high as well." This time it was Den who spoke up, his head turned to the right to look at Dante. He knew how hard it would be for her to get out of a fight without using any spells or titans if suits would attack her and he admitted that he didn't quite understand why she was against becoming a seeker as well.

The auburn haired seekers eyes in return slid over to the young couple that was seated next to each other on the couch, his amber eyes solidly fixed on the two

"You said that you are in the same class, right?" He inquired, earning a nod from Lok in return. "The two of you can keep an eye on her during school, I will make sure a foundation agent is going to check on her every once in a while." Dante spoke, his tone holding the authority his presence gave off.

Sara couldn't help but pull a small grimace upon hearing his words, clearly disliking his suggestion. She turned her head to look at Dante, to the others surprise, and looked at him with her blue eyes filled with determination.

"Is it really necessary?" Sara inquired, clearly disliking the idea of having someone watching her every step after school. She knew that it was for her own best and safety, but she couldn't help but voice her thoughts. The brunette had always liked to keep her privacy and having someone check up on her every once in a while would turn out to be really annoying.

"Sara is right, it's too complicated and she needs her privacy as well." Sophie spoke, making said female look at her in surprise. Sara hadn't actually expected Sophie to speak up, still thinking that she was mad regarding her little slip back when she tried to escape, and especially didn't expect her to side with her either.

"Well what do you suggest then? She needs proper protection until we find out why she is getting targeted." Zhalia firmly spoke, her expression holding a frown. Dante was right regarding the protection part and it wasn't that much of a bad idea either, she concluded. It wasn't going to be permanent anyways so she didn't see why it would be much of a problem for her. It was for her own good after all.

Silence engulfed the group for some moments, everyone occupied by their own thoughts before Lok snapped his fingers, his eyes lightening up as he turned to look at Dante.

"She could live here with us." Lok started, his eyes lighting up. "This way, we get to keep an eye on her and she isn't without any protection either. Since we are attending the same class anyways, we could walk to school and back together as well." Lok suggested, before his eyes widened in realization upon having forgotten a very important factor. "Only if it is okay with Sophie of course." Lok hastily added, turning to look at the caramel haired female next to him.

Sophie's lips were pursed in a straight line, her emerald eyes fixed on Sara. She knew that Lok did have a point there and that this way, they would be able to keep a close eye on Sara without having to get other foundation agents involved. Also, it wasn't like there was no room for her in the mansion anyways. Still, even though Sophie didn't have anything against Lok's suggestion of Sara living with her, she couldn't help but consider the responsibilities that would fall upon them if Sara were to stay with them.

"Lok is right, it would make much more sense and would make it easier for the rest of us to avoid any more troubles." Sophie concluded with a sigh, emerald eyes falling back to Dante who eyed them in mild curiosity.

The russet-haired seeker knew that they did have a point and that Sara would be safe at the mansion, but he still couldn't help but wonder if it was the right thing to do. Sophie and Lok may be strong seekers and also had the advance of LeBlanche and Santiago being with them in case of an attack, but if they would get assailed by an entire group of suits or spirals, it would prove to be harder to fight them off on their own whilst protecting Sara.

By taking Sara in to live with them in the mansion, they were automatically putting themselves in danger as well. It was very unlikely that anyone would attack them while they were in Sophie's mansion, but the possibility was still there.

"Well what do you think Dante?" Lok asked, clearly excited to receive his mentors approval. He was sure that considering their current situation, Dante wouldn't have anything against it. Still, the top seeker is known to be unpredictable and surprise others with his opinions and decisions.

"It's not me you should ask." Dante smoothly reminded them, his gaze turning to catch Sara's one with his own. He immediately noticed that she was torn between accepting Loks offer and declining. He could already tell that she was someone who wasn't fond of changes and preferred to be on her own but in a situation as this one, staying close to them unfortunately was a necessity.

Sara bit the inside of her cheek before she exhaled deeply, her eyes turning to meet Lok bright blue ones.

"I guess you are right." She admitted, knowing that she would be more safe in the mansion than in her flat in case of an attack. It was supposed to only be temporary as well, so she concluded that it may not turn out to be as bad as she expected it to.

"Alright, then it's settled!" Lok exclaimed, shooting Sara a toothy grin. "Sara is going to move in with us until we find out what exactly is going on." He stated, obviously delighted by the fact that someone new was going to live with them.

To him, living in the mansion tended to grow boring once in a while and with Sophie on Casterwill meetings or studying, he grew restless and bored rather fast. He hoped that maybe with Sara there, it would turn out to be more fun, especially since she was kind of a newbie and there were many things that she still didn't know about seekers and titans.

Dante gave a small smile at Loks obvious enthusiasm whereas Zhalia shook her head, inwardly wondering when it would be that Lok would stop looking for the good things in grave situations.

The corner of Saras mouth curled upwards but the hesitance in her eyes was still clearly evident, her orbs falling onto Lok and Sophie who were seated opposite of her.

"Thank you." She spoke, genuinely grateful for the help she received from them. Her eyes then turned to look at Sophie, blue and emerald clashing against each other while she gathered up the last bit of courage she had to address the topic that had been bothering her. "And I am also sorry for what I did back then, it wasn't on purpose." Sara apologized, the guilt thick in her tone while her gaze softened.

Sophie remained silent for a moment, eyeing Sara closely and just when Sara was about to regret having brought it up again, the Casterwill gave her a bright smile.

"It's alright, I know that you didn't want to hurt me. It was a silly accident." Sophie assured her, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. It was true, she didn't hold a grudge against Sara just because of something like that. She knew that it wasn't intentional and that Sara didn't purposefully want to hit her, so there was no reason to cause unnecessary drama.

Sara breathed a sigh of relief and gave her a small nod, grateful that Sophie want going to dwell on it. Dante turned to look at Zhalia, obviously confused and not knowing what Sara was apologizing for and arched a brow. Zhalia in return heaved a sigh at his curious gaze and gave him a small shake of her head, a gesture of her hand indicating that she would tell him later before she returned her attention to Sara.

"Hey, what about me?" Came a familiar voice, breaking the small silence and making Sara, just like the others, turn her head to look over her shoulder. It was Den who spoke up, much to their surprise, his eyes narrowed as he looked straightly at Sara.

The brunette female narrowed her eyes out of confusion before she arched an eyebrow, clearly not getting at what he was trying to imply.

Zhalia and Dante were now also eyeing Den curiously, wondering what their teammate was up to. Den in return huffed lightly and crossed his arms above his chest, looking straight at Sara without breaking the eye contact.

"Don't I also deserve an apology?" He inquired seriously, his head lightly tilted to the side. Sara in return furrowed her brows at his words, blue eyes starting to sparkle in annoyance and tamed anger upon remembering her rather unpleasant encounter with him.

"What for, knocking me out?" Sara inquired sarcastically, shooting him a glare from where she was seated. She was not going to apologize to him after he had knocked her out, and especially not if he would maintain this attitude of his.

"No, for running me over like a madman." Den clarified, his expression grave while a small pout formed itself on his lips. It wasn't like he had wanted to knock her out, but there was very little that he could have done to stop her other than that. He had his orders, and he knew that she wouldn't have listened to anything he would have said anyways.

"A madman? You run into me as well, so you can't possibly blame me for that!" Sara exclaimed with a frown, the incredulity in her voice audible.

Den arched his brows at her words a challenging smirk playing on his lips. "I can, and I obviously do. Just apologize and stop whining around." He breathed with a roll of his eye, keeping his amusement clearly concealed.

"Why you arrogant little-"

"Enough you two."

Dante's voice made Sara pause in mid-sentence, preventing her from going any further while Den muttered something under his breath,inaudible for the others to hear.

Dantes stern expression was firmly in place as he shot the teens a pointed look, silently daring them to go against his words. This scene was all too familiar to Dante and he couldn't help but think of the fights that Zhalia and Sophie had used to have back when they had formed the team, and still have every once in a while.

Den and Sara both were stubborn, judging by what he had just seen, so he guessed that further arguments between those two would be inevitable.

"Well, what now?" Lok eventually asked, his blue eyes turning to meet Dantes amber ones as the others had eventually calmed. "Its obviously been the organizational that attacked Sara, me and Sophie. How do we find out why they did it though?" He asked, a somber look on his face.

He as well was lightly surprised and displeased by the fact that it were suits that had attacked them. He had somewhat hoped that now that the organization was under Grier's command, they wouldn't cause them any more troubles. The mere fact that they have attacked an innocent person and even went as far as fighting Lok and Sophie whilst knowing that they were from the Foundation causing an unsettling feeling in the pit of his gut.

Dante eyed Lok for a moment before a small smirk appeared on his lips, a small sigh escaping him as he tilted his head aside.

"It's been some time since we have visited Sutos Island. How about we pay our old friend Grier a visit?"


	11. Secrets between seekers

**CHAPTER 11**

Secrets between Seekers

 _Sutos Island_

"Grier?" Lok inquired surprised, clearly not having expected Dante's suggestion. He knew that Grier was an ally of sort, and that he was a disciplined men who also wasn't going to attack any of them without having a reason to, but he still thought that it wasn't one of Dante's best ideas. The organization had seemingly started to attack innocent people again for their own reasons and since the Huntik team wasn't always all friendly and nice with the organization and the suits as well, the chances of them getting attacked were high. Grier was a good leader and knew how to keep his suits in check, but even he wouldn't be able to personally keep an eye on every suit there was in the organization and Lok for a fact knew that there still were many suits in the organization that were holding a grudge against the foundation and especially the team.

"Wait. Grier as in the one leading the organization?" Den questioned with a frown, lips pursed as he shot Dante a light irritated glance.

Zhalia and Sophie were also eyeing Dante curiously by now, the former one keeping it more decent than the young Casterwill heiress whose eyes were filled with sheer surprise. Dante gave his team a nod in return, confirming Lok and Dens questions as he crossed his arms above his chest, a small spark of amusement entering his amber orbs upon seeing the teams mixed reactions.

"Wait." Came another voice, this one sounding more light and silent in comparison to the others. The others eyes fell onto the owner of the voice, making Sara shift lightly in her seat under the sudden attention she was getting. Her eyes were fixed on Dante and her expression held clear confusion with a hint of hesitance, her blue eyes shining with uncertainty.

"Why would you want to go and meet the leader of the organization, if it was them who attacked me? I mean aren't they, how should I put it, the bad guys?" She inquired warily as she bit her lower lip out of nervousness.

"It's complicated." Sophie told her with a sigh, turning her head to fully look at her. "In the past, the organization used to be the completely opposite of the foundation. It used to be under the control of a man called the professor, and their goal was to dominate the world through brutal force. It was actually us who managed to defeat them but unfortunately, a seeker called Wilder took over the organization before we were able to prevent it. Lok and Den were the ones who managed to imprison Wilder together with a man called Grier, who is the current leader of the organization." Sophie swiftly explained, hoping that she didn't miss a detail and that she covered the most important things.

Sara remained silent for a series of moments, trying to process Sophie's words. It was much to take in and she guessed that if she didn't listen to Sophie's every word, she would be lost due to all the information she received at once.

"I know that it's much to take in." Lok spoke up, his eyes filled with sympathy. Sara merely gave him a nonchalant wave of her hand, signalizing that she managed to catch on before she tilted her head aside with a confused frown, her blue eyes turning to catch Lok's own ones in confusion.

"So Grier is the current leader of the organization." Sara carefully clarified, earning a nod from both Lok and Sophie in return. "If he isn't one of the bad seekers and helped you defeat the former leader of the organization, this Wilder guy, why would he send these suits after me for no reason at all?"

Dante gave her a small smile in return. "That's exactly what we would like to know as well, and that's why we're going to pay him a visit. Grier may have once followed the professors orders, but he isn't the type of person to risk others life and cause an unnecessary feud between the foundation and the organization especially after what happened in the past. The safety of his men is his first priority and I doubt that he would allow such a reckless act, especially since these suits attacked Lok and Sophie even though they apparently knew of their identity."

Sara gave Dante a hesitant nod in return, the professional aura that he gave off giving her the impression that he knew exactly what he was saying and what would be best to do in a situation such as this one.

"Grier is a good person and like Dante had already said, I doubt that he's aware of what happened in the first place. I trust him." Lok spoke, instantly agreeing with his mentor. Grier was a loyal seeker who had always wanted to bring order in the most messy situations and Lok knew that he was the perfect man to keep the organization in check. Ever since the defeat of the Blood Spiral, Grier had been cooperative and up until this very days incident, the Foundation and the organization pointedly stayed out of each others way.

"How can you trust him already? You barely know him so you can't be sure whether he is on our side or not." Den reminded Lok, his expression holding a frown. He still was wary of all of this and had mixed feelings about all of this. Grier may be a good leader, but he would never be able to keep the organization in check on his own. The suits attacking Sara was the perfect example that showed that apparently, some things did manage to escape his notice.

"So?" Lok furrowed his brows out of confusion. "He helped us defeat Wilder and was willing to cooperate, to me it's proof enough that he is a good person." He replied, firmly holding onto his belief of Grier being a good person.

Sophie who was seated beside Lok was now openly frowning at his words and crossed her arms lightly across her chest, clearing her throat in the process to gain their attention.

"I would like to remind you that a certain _someone_ also helped us fight the organization and that you were the first one to trust her just because of that. You thought that she was on our side as well and look how _that_ ended." She spoke, pointedly glancing at Zhalia out of the corner of her emerald eyes.

The atmosphere dropped in an instant and tension engulfed the group of seekers, everyone knowing what Sophie was referring to. Zhalia tensed and felt the blood in her veins run cold, her pair of icy hazel colored eyes steadily fixed on the back of Sophie's head while she tried to fight the urge of giving into Sophie's deliberate provocation. She knew that Sophie used her as an example on purpose but Zhalia knew better than to start an argument, especially in front of Sara.

If Sara were to know what Sophie was talking about, she would be even more distrusting towards Zhalia and that would only make it all more difficult. But of course, the young Casterwill heiress didn't seem to have thought of it.

Den and Lok frowned upon hearing Sophie's words, not having expected her to bring the past incident with Zhalia up again especially since it was the past and they all were aware of Zhalia's former circumstances. They all knew that Sophie and Zhalia still weren't best of friends and that they still had some arguments every once in a while, but they didn't expect something like this from Sophie.

Dante was still standing on his former place, arms crossed above his chest and even though his expression seemed blank to the others, there was a spark of something in his amber eyes that indicated that he was anything but pleased and instead, clearly disappointed and displeased by Sophie's pointed choice of example. He knew best that even until this very day Zhalia still felt guilty about her betrayal and that it wasn't going to change anytime soon either. There would always be a part of her that would remind her of what had happened and make her feel guilty. Dante took a glance at Zhalia out of the corner of his eye and immediately noticed Zhalia's rather stiff posture, the straightness of her spine and shoulders giving her away. Others would have probably failed to notice it, but to him it was more than painfully obvious and that only worsened his current mood. Zhalia had showed where her loyalty laid more than once and had risked her life for them multiple times and in Dante's opinion instead of getting doubted, she deserved to get acknowledged and respected for all the sacrifices she had made.

"It ended with us being able to defeat both the professor and the Blood Spiral and if it wasn't for her, I would have died a series of times already so if that's what you are trying to get at, yes I am aware of how much she had helped us. I think that I can speak for a lot of people when I say that I was right to trust her and until now, I have never once regretted to do so." Lok informed her with as he put on a genuine smile, his bright and innocent blue eyes shining with honesty as he evenly returned Sophie's gaze who was now looking at him in mild surprise. She let out a small huff and shook her head at Lok, knowing that he wouldn't change his mind regarding Grier no matter how hard she would try. She as well didn't believe that he had given his blessings to the attack, but they could never be sure.

Zhalia's brown eyes fell onto Lok, a brief sparkle of surprise entering her eyes upon hearing his sudden declaration. She didn't expect him to defend her, especially against Sophie because in her opinion, what she had done was not easy to be forgiven. Even though they have assured her multiple times that it was alright and that they did forgive and forget, Zhalia was unable to forgive and forget herself. She gave him a small and grateful nod that went unnoticed by the others and the blonde in return gave her a small wink before he returned his attention to Sophie, who was pointedly ignoring the bluenettes glare.

Sara eyed the group of seekers in confusion, obviously not the least bit aware of what was going on nor what they were talking about, but she decided to not speak up. She had to admit that her curiosity was lightly perked, but she knew that it was not her place to ask especially since it seemed to be a touchy subject for them.

"Well, it's settled then. We're leaving for Sutos island tomorrow after school, we'll meet at the airport at 4 so that you have enough time to pack your things." Dante informed them, and his team gave him a nod in return.

"But wait." Came Den's voice from where he was standing, his brown eyes falling onto the brunette female that was now eyeing him suspiciously. "What about Sara, is she going to come with us or will she stay here with LeBlanche and Santiago?" He inquired with a hint of curiosity in his voice. Dante hummed lightly as he considered Dens inquiry, his amber eyes falling onto Sara who now was the new center of attention. He didn't know how long they were going to stay in Sutos, and even though LeBlanche and Santiago were very well educated seekers and would manage to take care of her, it would be too risky to leave her on her own especially if she were to attend school. The suits or even Spirals could attack her during break when Santiago wouldn't be able to keep an eye on her and now that she was their responsibility until they found out why people were after her, he guessed that it would be best to keep her close to them.

"She'll be coming with us. This way, we'll be able to protect her until we know more and even if Grier doesn't know her and is not involved in any of this, some suits may recognize her. If they do, we may find out what it is that they want from Sara." Dante returned firmly, his honey orbs catching Den's gaze.

"Sounds quite risky to me" Den commented, a small smirk out of amusement tinting his lips as he noticed the way Sara stiffened lightly upon hearing his comment.

"Wait, do I have any say in this?" Sara inquired, her concerned blue eyes falling onto Dante who gave her a light apologetic look in return, which Sara took as a no. She already knew that she didn't have any say in something like this at all, but it was worth a try. Her stomach was already twisting at the thought of meeting the leader of the suits that have attacked her, dreading anticipation making her feel nauseous.

Look, seemingly sensing her discomfort, stood up from his seat and walked over to Sara to lay a comforting hand on her shoulder, his blue eyes filled with pity and sympathy.

She looked up to meet his gaze with a uncomfortable one herself before she averted her eyes from his, a small sigh escaping her rosy lips.

"There is no need to worry, it's going to be fine. All you have to do is to trust that we are going to protect you, alright?" Lok assured her with a soft smile, trying to ease her obvious nervousness. It was understandable, they were practically walking straight into enemies territory with someone that the suits were obviously after and that didn't know the least bit about using spells. Lok though, was confident in their skills and knew that as long as they would remain professional and would keep a close eye on Sara, nothing dangerous would happen.

"Alright." Sara eventually mumbled, running a hand over her face that was displaying her exhaustion. It was a lot to take in especially in one day, and she still wasn't quite sure if she had managed to believe that it all wasn't just a very bad dream but instead, the painful reality. Lok gave her shoulder a comforting squeeze before he moved to stand behind the couch Sophie was seated on, laying both of his hands on her shoulders.

"Now that this is settled, I think that it's best if you two accompany Sara to her home so that she can pack some things." Dante suggested, addressing Lok and Sophie who in return gave their mentor a brief nod out of understanding. "Good. I suggest you all to rest as soon as you get home, we're going to need every bit of energy we can get."

 _The Next Day_

 _Suto's Island_

 _6PM_

They weren't oblivious to the looks they were receiving, and to say that it was unnerving would be an understatement.

Dante remained calm and professional as he and the rest of his team were walking through the busy streets of the village they have grown to come familiar with, pointedly ignoring the curious stares of recognition they received from every second person they were passing.

It was to be expected since they decided against any camouflage, and Dante absently noticed that as soon as they were nearing the place Grier was supposed to be at, more and more suits were appearing. Every one of them were eyeing the infamous Huntik team with a mixture of clear aversion and wariness, and some were muttering something into their mouthpiece, most likely alerting the others of their presence.

"Something is off." Came Zhalia's mumble from his right, and he mentally agreed with her. Something didn't seem to right and even though the suits didn't attack them yet, he assumed that it was only because they were in the midst of the village and didn't want to cause any chaos to erupt again.

"Prepare yourselves." He warned her in a low tone, and saw how she gave him a nod out of the corner of his eye before she slowed down, matching the pace with the rest of the teens.

They had to be on high alert in case something was going to happen, like an attack, and their first priority was to guard Sara especially since she didn't know how to defend herself against titans and spells.

She was surprisingly calm, and if he didn't know better he would have thought that she wasn't nervous or scared at all. As for now, she was silently chatting with Lok and Sophie, Den occasionally throwing in a comment or two and if it wasn't for the way her body stiffened ever so slightly whenever she caught one of the suits eyeing at her, she managed to conceal her discomfort rather well.

They were starting to get closer to the small tower Grier was supposed to reside in and the villagers around them started to get more and more less in this part, the amount of suits increasing in return.

The building that seemed to be made out of sand looked just the same as it did the times before, nothing different except for the suits that were guarding the entrance.

"I don't have a good feeling about this." He heard Sara mumble from behind him, the uncertainty in her voice clearly audible.

"Just stay close, and you'll be fine." Zhalia firmly reminded her, her hazel eyes steadily fixed on the suits that were already eyeing the team suspiciously.

Her keen eye noticed the way they tensed upon recognizing them, their postures growing stiff and their expressions remaining blank but Zhalia was sure that if they weren't wearing their trademark black sunglasses, she would have caught the glimpse of fear in their eyes.

The group of six kept on walking until they were standing a series of inches opposite of the four suits and Dante gave them a brief smile as they came to an halt, much to the confusion of Sara. She didn't know much of his tactics in comparison to the others who were more than used to Dante's sneaky ways of getting what he wants already. Lok mirrored Dante's smile, if not a bit uncertain, while Sophie and Zhalia eyed the guards closely, obviously not even bothering to feign friendliness. Zhalia was standing in front of Sara while Den was behind her, both of them wordlessly making sure to guard her in case someone may try to attack her.

"Good evening gentleman." Dante greeted them politely, and Sophie couldn't help but bite her lower lip to refrain from smiling upon catching Sara's irritated expression upon hearing Dante's choice of words.

"What is he doing?" Sara mumbled under her breath, inaudible to anyone but Zhalia and Den. Zhalia remained silent and kept on looking straightforwards, her gaze fixed on the suits what didn't surprise Sara since she didn't expect a answer in return. What did surprise her though was when she felt Den shifting closer, making her tense in an instant as he moved closer to her. She was still wary of him and frankly, still didn't like him so him entering her personal space left her quite uncomfortable.

"Just watch." He muttered in return, his words leaving her all the more confused. She did as told and remained silent as she turned to look at Dante's back from over Zhalia's shoulders in mild curiosity.

The suits pursed their lips in return of Dante's greeting, and Zhalia noticed the way they clenched their fists.

"This is organization territory, you are not welcomed here so I advise you to leave." One of the suits spoke up, obviously trying his best to remain professional.

Dante didn't seem to care, just as expected, and crossed his arms above his broad chest, his smile still firmly kept in place as he eyed the suit in an almost challenging way.

"We came to talk to Grier." Dante informed the curtly, seemingly ignoring the suits former warning and not even bothering to acknowledge it in the first place.

"Sir Grier has not informed us about your arrival, so I won't let you pass." The suit informed him with a frown, the sharp edge in his voice indicating that he was anything but pleased by their appearance.

Dante merely smirked in return. "Consider it a surprise visit." He told him smoothly, and something in his amber eyes changed as soon as he had spoken these words. "It would spare all of us considerably much trouble if you would be as kind as letting us pass without any further delay."

The suit was now openly scowling and Zhalia instantly put her defenses up, Sophie following suit in case things were going to get ugly.

They all knew that if they wouldn't let them pass, they would have to use force in order to get to Grier and if that were to happen, other suits would get alarmed as well and even though they weren't strong, it would still be difficult to fight against an entire army of suits. It would be best if they wouldn't attract even more attention than they already did, in order to prevent total tumult. Grier would not be pleased about it either, that much was for sure and they could go without having to deal with him being mad as well. It would only cause unnecessary obstacles.

"Are you deaf? I already told you to leave, you are not allowed to pass." The suit told him with a growl, and that's when Dante's smirk turned into a grin, what only fueled the suits anger and irritation. The auburn haired seeker raised his hands in a surrendering matter before he let his hands hand loosely at his sides.

"What a pity. Zhalia, would you mind?" He turned to look over his shoulder, his amber eyes catching Zhalia's brown ones in an instant. A silent message passed between the two of them before Zhalia herself gave a small smirk herself, stepping forwards so that she was standing next to Dante.

"Thoughtspecter."

And with that, they disappeared and faded into nothingness, leaving a group of dumbfounded suits behind.

Everything went black, and before they were able to realize what was happening, the Huntik team was standing in front of the throne made of stone that none other than Grier was sitting on.

Sara, not having expected it, almost tumbled ungracefully on the ground if it wasn't for Sophie catching her upper arm just in time to steady her. Zhalia and Dante remained impassive while Sophie and Den remained still, trying to shake off the wave of dizziness that overcame them.

Lok groaned lightly as he straightened himself, rubbing his head as he tried to get rid of the small pain that made itself noticeable in the back of his head due to the spell.

"I'll never get used to it." He muttered under his breath before he opened his eyes, realizing where they currently were located at. He blinked a series of times and watched how Grier stood up from his place on the stone throne, frowning as he took notice of the Huntik team.

Lok gave him a sheepish smile while Dante's expression turned serious, no trace of his former amusement left.

"Grier." He greeted the blonde men politely, who still eyed them cautiously. The rest of the team remained silent, knowing that it wasn't their place to speak up. They were in organization territory after all and knew that their mere presence here was reason enough for them to attack, since they came without a warning as well.

"Dante Vale." He acknowledged coldly in return, his usual firm voice not wavering the slightest and his hard eyes firmly set on his former enemy. It was somewhat ironic, to say at last, but Dante had to admit that it was always better to have someone as their ally rather than enemy.

"I hope that we aren't bothering." Dante spoke, turning to look at Griers adviser who was eyeing them suspiciously, but remained silent.

Grier put his arms behind his back and eyed him evenly in return, a small sigh leaving his lips. "There have been reports of your arrival already, so I was already expecting you." He informed them emotionless, and Dante couldn't help but smirk in return.

"As expected." Dante commented lightly. "I am wondering though, if there has also been a report that informed you about yesterdays incident." He calmly spoke, and instantly noticed the way Griers eyes narrowed the lightest of bits.

"I am afraid that you will have to be more specific." Grier replied, voice as hard as ever. Dante in return watched him for a long moment of silence before he took a step forward. The rest of his team eyed the former council member motionlessly, knowing that he would be able to take care of the situation.

"I think I should introduce you to someone first." Dante said, and turned to look at Sara from where he was standing. "This is Sara. Yesterday, a group of your suits have attacked her in Venice, for seemingly no reason. She is no seeker, so she was unable to defend herself but fortunately Lok and Sophie were close and managed to prevent worse from happening. The suits have also attacked them as soon as they tried to defend her." Dante began, and Sara tensed as soon as yesterdays incident was brought up. She shifted uncomfortably as Grier's hard eyes fell onto her and pointedly averted her gaze from his.

Silence followed Dante's words and even though it didn't seem to be much of an important matter, they all knew well enough that an incident such as this one could cause a chain reaction of attacks.

"I have not been informed that anything like that happened." Grier eventually returned, his eyes moving from Sara to look back at Dante. "Are you certain that it were my suits that have attacked her, and that you are not mistaken? You should be aware of what false accusations could cause, especially if word were to reach the council, Vale."

Dante gave Grier a nod in return. "I assure you that I am aware. Apparently, your suits have even went as far as warning them about not meddling with organization business again what makes me wonder, what exactly the organizations business with Sara was."

By now, Sara was attentively listening to the conversation between Grier and Dante, her posture still stiff in fear of what may happen. Grier gave off an aura of authority that even surpassed the one Dante and Zhalia did, him being far more intimidating then they were.

"They weren't following orders, if that is what you are indicating." The blonde replied gravely. "I am going to look into that matter and will inform you if I manage to find out their intentions. They will get punished, but I can not guarantee that incidents like this won't occur in the future. Many suits still hold a grudge against the Foundation, and act on their own despite of my warnings."He warned them, and Dante pursed his lips out of understanding. It was understandable, and he also knew that Grier would not be able to personally keep an eye on every suit there was, but as long as he was aware of what was going on it was a start.

"I know, and I expected no less." Dante evenly returned, before he turned to look at his team over his shoulder. "Why don't you go back to the jet, I will follow you right after. There just is something that I would like to discuss with Grier in private, it won't take long."

Zhalia's eyes narrowed the slightest of bits as her gaze fell to Dante, her calculating eyes trying to figure out what he was planning. She knew that he must have had something in mind, especially since he obviously didn't want them to overhear what it was.

"The suits won't cause any more problems, so you'll be able to pass through the village without any troubles." Grier informed them, and Zhalia gave them a small, if not reluctant nod in return before she turned to look at the teens that were eyeing her expecting.

"You heard him, let's go." She told them,fortunately not asking any further questions regarding Dante's business with Grier before they slowly made their way out of the room, but not without Zhalia giving Dante one last suspicious look over her shoulder, which he merely returned with a reassuring smile before the doors fell shut behind them.

"That went easier than expected." Lok commented in relief as they were making their way down the stairs that lead to the exit of the building.

Sophie gave a nod out of agreement, also somewhat relieved that they didn't have to use force to get to them and that it wasn't actually Grier who commanded them to do attack.

"We still don't know why they are after Sara though." She reminded them, and said female gave an exhausted sigh in return. She was more than glad that it all went seemingly well, but they didn't get to find out why some of the suits were after her and what it was that they wanted from her as well, much to her dismay.

"So, what are we supposed to do next?" Den inquired as they passed the entrance and the suits they have formerly encountered, earning a scowl from them that Lok merely returned with a bright grin.

"There is nothing we can do for now but wait." Zhalia replied, her gaze steadily fixed on the road in front of her. It was true, there was very little they could do about it until Grier would eventually find out some information, or they were to attack Sara again.

The walk to the jet was filled with light chatter, but Zhalia was occupied by her own thoughts. They all made themselves comfortable in their former seats, and while Lok complained about the heat and Sophie scolded him for being whiny, Den and Sara somehow managed to bicker once again.

Zhalia watched the teens in silence and couldn't help but shake her head at their childish antics that once more proved that regardless of what fights and battles they have taken part in, they still were children at heart. It wasn't something bad and actually, a part of Zhalia was glad that they still remained the same after what they have went through. Sadly, Zhalia couldn't say the same. She had changed after everything that happened, for both the better and the worse. In comparison to them though, Zhalia knew that the world wasn't all sunshine and that in many cases, there were no such things as happy endings.

Luckily it didn't take long until Dante also reached the jet and the moment he entered it did Zhalia notice that something was off.

He walked over to where the team was seated and cleared his throat to gain their attention, a smile on his lips that didn't quite reach his eyes while he leaned with his back against an empty seat.

The others stopped their chatter and turned to look at Dante in surprise as well as relief, a smile present on their lips.

"Was about time Dante! I thought that we would have to leave without you." Lok joked, earning a light slap on the shoulder from Sophie. He gave her a confused look and rubbed his now sore shoulder and pouted at the familiarity at the scene, a sense of deja-vu overcoming him.

"I'm sorry that you had to wait, but something came up that I had to take care of." Dante explained, still pointedly keeping most of the details for himself, what didn't go past Zhalia but seemingly escaped the rest of them.

She eyed him closely from where she was seated and tried to read his eyes as she had done all the times before, but unfortunately he purposefully avoided her gaze and instead, fixed it on Lok.

"It's fine." Lok assure him with a grin. "Let's just try to make it back home in time so that LeBlanche won't scold us for being late." He said with a chuckle, knowing that LeBlanche liked to keep things organized and disliked them being late because in most cases when they would return late from missions, they would over sleep the next day and be late for school.

"Actually, we won't go home just yet." Dante informed them, and that's when even Zhalia looked at him in curiosity and wonder.

"What do you mean?" Den asked confused, looking at Dante with his brown eyes filled with wonder.

Dante merely smiled in return as he looked at each one of them before his gaze fell back onto Lok, a knowing look in his eyes. "There's something that I have to take care of in Ireland and since it's been a while that we have been there, I thought that it would be a great opportunity for you to visit your family, and for Den to see Harrison." He explained, and watched how both Lok and Dens eyes lightened up in joy in an instant.

"Really?" Lok exclaimed excitedly, and as soon as he earned the confirming nod from Dante, he fisted the air.

"Alight! Oh man I can't wait to see Cathy and mom again!" He exclaimed happily, and Den gave a nod out of agreement,equally as happy upon getting the opportunity of seeing his brother again.

"Ireland, huh?" Sophie commented with a smile before she caught Zhalia's hazel eyes with her own emerald ones, both of them not as enthusiastic upon hearing the news as the others were.

Dante gave her a nod before he turned to look at Sara who remained silent, not quite knowing what was going to happen to her. He gave her a reassuring smile, already guessing her thoughts before he spoke up.

"It's up to you whether you want to come with us or not. We can make a short stop to drop you at the mansion if you want to, or you can accompany us." He offered her kindly, and Sara took a moment to consider his offer.

"Why don't you come with us? I promise that it's going to be fun!" Lok told her enthusiastically, and Sara eyed him unsure for a moment. She didn't want to be the fifth wheel and since it was somewhat like a team thing, she didn't want to be a bother either. She was about to decline but seeing the way Lok watched her with his blue eyes filled with hope and Sophie gave her an encouraging smile, she couldn't.

"I guess I'll join you guys then, only if that's alright for you of course." She eventually said, earning a series of smiles in return.

"Of course it is!" Lok assured her with a grin, and Sophie gave her a reassuring nod out of agreement.

"As long as you stay out of trouble, it's fine." Came Den's nonchalant comment, and Sara turned to shoot him a glare.

Zhalia shook her head at Dens comment , knowing that it served as provocation only and Dante merely smiled at the scene.

"So it's settled, our next stop is going to be Ireland."

* * *

 **A/N:** Hey there! Thanks for reviewing the past chapter and if you liked this one, please review this one as well:) I am sorry for not updating faster, but I had a couple of exams and thus had to spend my free time studying. Fortunately, they are over now what means that I can update faster again!

And as always, thanks to my guest reviewers Carter Casterwill and Amelia for reviewing. I am glad that you like it and appreciate your support:)


	12. The Key to Power

**A/N:** Thanks for the reviews! I tried my best to update as fast as I could so please review this chapter as well, since I have put a lot of work into it. Enjoy!

* * *

 **CHAPTER 12**

 _County Kerry, Ireland_

The flight fortunately went by rather fast for the Huntik team. Lok and Den spent the hours chatting with each other while Sophie read one of her books and Zhalia explained Sara the basics of a Holotome.

By now the team was walking down the familiar road towards the Lambert's family house, chatting happily to each other.

Dante was in the front with Sophie, the Casterwill girl having started a conversation with him as soon as they have left the jet, followed by Den and Lok who were talking about how glad they were to meet their relatives. Sara and Zhalia were the last one's, and it was more than obvious that as for the moment, something was bothering Zhalia.

Her hazel eyes were fixed on Dante's back, brows furrowed in thought while she tried to think of what had happened in Sutos Island and why Dante wanted to go to Ireland all of sudden.

It just wasn't like him at all, and she assumed that it had something to do with what he has talked to Grier about in Sutos.

Zhalia knew that he didn't have to share everything with his team, but Zhalia knew that Dante tended to keep important things for himself whenever he feared that the team may get endangered.

She had come to realize that she didn't like it one bit.

"Is everything alright?" Came a voice from her right, ripping her out of her musings. Zhalia averted her eyes from Dante's back and turned to look at Sara, who was eyeing her with what seemed to be worry.

"Of course." Zhalia briefly returned, tightening her hold on the strap of the black backpack that she carried over her shoulder. "Why are you asking?"

Sara merely shook her head in return and gave her a small smile, her blue orbs looking upwards to look at the clear blue colored sky that was above them, no cloud to be seen.

"You don't seem to be as happy about coming to Ireland as the rest of them are." Sara calmly replied, careful to keep her voice low so that the others wouldn't overhear them.

Zhalia pursed her lips in return and put on her usual blank facade, wondering if her displeasure was as evident as Sara claimed it to be. She always tried to keep her emotions and feelings in check and to herself, but it seemed that this time it was more than visible that she wasn't particularly looking forward to their little trip.

"It's nothing." Zhalia curtly assured the brunette, a small sigh escaping her lips. Sara looked at Zhalia out of the corner of her eyes, and decided not to further comment on the matter. During the past two days she had spend with them she had learned that Zhalia was someone who liked her privacy, and wasn't a woman of many words or chit-chat. She always came straight to the point and didn't beat around the bush, but Sara didn't mind it one bit. In fact, she preferred someone being direct than someone who sugar coats everything, as she had always been more of a direct person herself.

Ten more minutes have passed until the team had finally reached their destination and as soon as the house was in sight, Lok couldn't contain his huge grin.

"Finally." He breathed in joy, a reminiscing look entering his blue eyes. It has been quite some time since Lok had seen his mother and sister, and ever since the fight against the betrayer they haven't been able to talk much either.

"Do they know that we're coming?" Den suddenly asked, turning his head to look at Dante who in return shook his head.

"They don't." Dante replied, and Lok's expression lighted up upon hearing his mentors reply.

"Great! I can't wait to see mom's expression when she sees us standing at the door with no warning!" He exclaimed gleefully, and Sophie shook her head at Lok, a small smile tainting her lips.

They made their way towards the wooden entrance door of the house and came to an halt right in front of it, Lok stepping forwards to knock at the door.

He raised his fists and knocked twice against the wooden door, his heart beating fast in his chest as he gulped down the lump that had formed itself in his throat.

"I'm coming!" Came a shout from inside, and that's when Lok couldn't suppress the grin that formed itself on his lips any further.

The door opened mere seconds later, revealing a blonde haired woman that was adjusting her glasses. She turned to look at the visitor and as soon as her eyes fell onto the group that was standing on her doorstep, her eyes widened considerably.

"Lok?" She gasped in surprise, obviously not having expected them the least bit. Lok gave her a toothy grin before he took a stride forward and engaged his mother into a broad and tight hug.

"Surprise mom!" He called with a chuckle as he felt her sigh in return before she wrapped her arms around her sons waist, returning the hug. The feeling of being able to hold his mother in his arms once more was indescribable, and as for the moment Lok couldn't be more glad and grateful to have received the opportunity to visit her again. He had missed her terribly, but he knew that with the mess the Foundation was currently in and all the meetings Sophie had to attend, it was impossible to visit them no matter how much he would have tried. Of course he called her once in a while, but he himself has been quite busy as for the past two months, so they had no opportunity to properly talk, especially since he would have liked to know how she had been after the battle against the Blood Spiral and the betrayer.

"Yeah, and what a surprise!" She returned joyously, pulling away from her son to take a proper look at him, before she turned to look at the remaining team with a large smile.

"It's so good to see you all again, come in!" Sandra swiftly ushered them inside, Dante giving her a grateful nod that was followed by a smile as they all made their way inside the house. The team exchanged a small greeting with Sandra before they all made their way towards the familiar living-room, Lok grinning from ear to ear.

Sara gave Lok's mother a small smile and uttered a soft "Hello." as she noticed the older woman's curious, yet friendly gaze on her.

"Evening, dear." Sandra softly returned as she gently closed the door behind Sara who was the last one to come in before she followed them into the living room.

Dante sat down on the couch next to Sophie and Lok, whereas Zhalia, Den and Sara took the one opposite of theirs, purposefully leaving the armchair free for Sandra.

Sandra was the last one to enter the room, and as soon as her eyes met the filled living-room she couldn't suppress the sigh of contentment that escaped her. She was always happy to see them, since they all have grown to her, and to see them all sitting in her living room together made her feel both grateful and happy at once.

"Oh dear, I didn't prepare anything." Sandra suddenly realized in dismay, earning an amused chuckle from Lok in return.

"Don't worry mom, it's fine." He swiftly assured her, knowing that for his mom, hospitality was more important than anything else when she was getting visitors.

Giving a relenting sigh, Sandra walked over to the armchair and sat down before she took a look at her guests, her lips turning upwards into a soft smile.

"To what do I own this pleasure?" Sandra softly inquired, the surprise of finding the Huntik team on her doorstep out of seemingly nowhere fading ever so slow.

"Well," Dante started, making the others heads turn to look at the auburn haired seeker who gave Sandra a polite smile. "I have some business to take care of in Ireland, so I thought that it would be a great opportunity for the team to take a small break, and for Lok and Den to see their families again." He briefly explained, and Sandra gave him a nod that indicated that she had understood. She folded her hands neatly on her lap and turned to look at first Lok and then Den, her blue eyes resting on the brown haired male.

"That's right, your brother has formed a team with Scarlet, hasn't he?" Sandra remembered, missing the way Sophie tensed upon hearing the ginger haired seeker getting mentioned that soon.

Den gave Lok's mother a curt nod, shooting her a smile. "Yeah, it's been some time since I have seen him." He told her, instantly earning a look of sympathy from Sandra.

"I can only imagine how happy you must be to see him after what had happened." She told him with a kind smile, pointedly avoiding to mention the battle against the betrayer. She knew best that it still was a touchy topic for most of them, especially after what had happened. Sandra was very well aware that every one sitting here in this room had made great sacrifices during the battle against the Blood Spiral and has gotten injured, whether it was emotional or physical. Her eyes then fell on the person that was seated next to Den at the far end of the couch, slightly looking out of place and if Sandra took a closer look at her, lightly uncomfortable as well.

"I don't think that we have met already." Sandra smiled kindly at Sara, her blue eyes softening as she took in the way Sara tried not to break eye contact with Sandra, not used to be the sudden center of attention.

"Oh right!" She heard Lok exclaim all of sudden, a sheepish grin on his face as he rubbed his neck with his hand. "Mom, this is Sara. She is, well-" Lok suddenly faltered, not quite knowing what her position in the team was, or if she was a part of the team in the first place. The blonde threw his mentor a look that practically screamed for help, and Dante instantly took the silent plea of help.

"She is a temporary member of our team." Dante offered, giving Sara a smile that she hesitantly returned. Sara herself had never actually thought of her position, all she knew that she would have to stay with them until they would find out why the organization attacked or she decided to become a seeker herself.

"Temporary?" Sandra echoed curiously, shooting her son a questioning look.

"Well it's kind of complicated." Lok started, shooting Sara a pointed look. The brunette female gave him a small nod, assuring him that it was alright to go on and Lok turned to look back at his mother.

"Well it all started with Sara being my and Sophie's new classmate. After school, the two of us saw how suits were trailing her so we followed them because it seemed suspicious. They attacked Sara, and we came just in time to save her. The suits attacked us but of course, we managed to knock them out." Zhalia couldn't refrain from rolling her hazel eyes at Lok's words at this part. "Sophie and I then took Sara to Sophie's mansion where we explained everything since she wasn't a seeker and yeah, you can imagine the rest."

Sandra's mouth formed the shape of an 'o' and a look of understanding crossed her expression, her eyes falling from Lok back to Sara who remained silent during the entire explanation.

"Oh my, this truly isn't a great way to become a seeker." Sandra spoke pitifully, knowing very well that it must have been hard for her to accept it all after having gotten attacked.

"Well, she isn't a seeker just yet." Sophie spoke up, earning a mildly confused look from Sandra in return.

"Pardon?"

"She decided against becoming a seeker, for now." This time it was Zhalia who spoke up, her calm velvet voice reaching their ears, much to their surprise. "Until we have found out why the organization attacked her or what it is that they want from her, she decided not to become one until there is no way around." She explained, silence following her words.

Sandra was surprised, to say at last. She, just like the others previously did, had expected her to become a seeker after the incident. It wasn't common for people who have just gotten introduced to the world of spells and titans to decide against becoming a seeker and she couldn't recall that something like this had happened before, since it was common for them to use Simple-mind on them if they refused to become one, for their own safety. Knowing of the world of titans or seekers was dangerous and if one didn't know how to use spells or titans to defend herself, it would prove to become dangerous.

The blonde female turned to look at Sara who was holding her gaze, earning a smile from Sandra. She seemed to be a brave and stubborn one, judging by her refusing to become a seeker unless it would be inevitable. It spoke of a strong will and Sandra had to say that she was impressed, since she herself would have not recommended others to become a seeker if it wasn't necessary. It may seem fun in the beginning, but she knew best that the sacrifices a seeker had to make were far bigger than one could imagine.

"Quite impressive." Sandra spoke, much to the surprise of the others. "In my opinion, I think that you have made the right decision young girl. It's not everyday that you find someone with a strong will such as yours." Sandra praised, earning a shy smile from Sara.

"I wouldn't confuse a strong will with plain stubbornness." Came Den's sudden comment, and Sara took a deep breath trying her best to remain composed. She should have expected a comment such as this one coming from him, but she didn't want to give a bad first impression in front of Loks mother so she pointedly decided against starting another pointless argument and instead, settled on remaining silent and ignoring the blow her pride and ego have gotten. She would make sure to get her payback later.

"So, the organization is causing trouble again?" Sandra questioned, swiftly changing the topic as she turned to look at Dante.

"Not quite." He replied, his smile dropping the slightest. "It's true that suits of the organization have attacked her, but before we came to Ireland we went to talk to Grier, the current leader of the organization." Dante explained, and Sandra gave him a brief nod.

"I have heard of him." Sandra told them after a moment, faintly remembering that his name fell in one of the meetings of the Foundation that she had taken part of. She knew that as for now, the organization was no threat, especially since she had also heard how Grier had helped Lok and Den to take out Wilder, the former head of the organization. Still, she knew that it didn't mean that the organization was going to be one of the Foundations allies. They have always liked to do things on their own, and rarely liked to ally with others if it wasn't necessary.

"Well, he told us that he has not commanded the attack and until we told him about it, wasn't even aware that there was an attack at all." Dante went on, and Sandra frowned lightly.

"Is his word to be trusted?" She inquired after a moment of silence, and Dante gave her a curt nod in return. Sandra inwardly calmed a bit and exhaled deeply, glad that there wasn't the risk of the organization falling back into their old schemes. They all needed a break, especially them, so she was glad that as for now, everything seemed to be alright.

"That's good to hear." Sandra commented relieved, shaking her head to get rid of the unpleasant thoughts and memories of their former battle.

"So, how have you all been?"She suddenly asked, smiling warmly at the team in front of her. "It's been quite some time since we have last seen each others and now that I think of it, aren't you supposed to be in New York?" Sandra inquired, addressing Dante. The rest of the team turned to look at Dante in curiosity, also not knowing the reason for his return. They haven't addressed it once and frankly said, didn't give it a second thought either as well since all that counted for them was that he was back as their team leader.

"Well, let's say that sitting in the office and arguing with the rest of the council is only half as entertaining as going on missions with the team." Dante replied, giving them a knowing look. Lok snorted at that and crossed his arms above his chest upon hearing his reply, not content with the reason his mentor gave them.

"Oh come on, why won't you just admit that you missed us?" Lok returned with a pout, and Den snorted at the puppy look Lok was giving him. The corner of Sara's lips lifted into a small, amused smile whereas Zhalia shook her head at the blonde boys antics.

"What about you dear, I can imagine that you have been quite busy with your family." Sandra spoke, giving Sophie a look out of sympathy.

"Well there have been have a series of meetings that I had to attend." Sophie replied with a sigh. "But well, it can't be helped."

Sandra gave a small nod, knowing that as the heiress of the Casterwill family she must have been quite busy for the past two months, especially after the fight against the betrayer. There were a lot of things that needed to be taken care of, and it could get really exhausting if one would not be careful and get proper sleep, especially since Sophie was still fairly young.

Her eyes then traveled to Zhalia, who caught her gaze evenly. "We haven't seen each other for quite some time now as well, you weren't with the others when they visited me the last time as well." Sandra spoke, and Zhalia faintly heard a hint of concern in the blondes voice. She knew that Sandra always managed to pick up the smallest of things and cared for all of them, regardless of how long they knew each other.

Zhalia was now the newest center of attention and out of the corner of her eye, she saw how Lok shifted in his seat. She knew that if Sandra were to know about her infiltrating the Blood Spiral, she would only worry even further and since Zhalia wasn't even sure if Lok has told her about her having been a spy for the organization in the beginning, she decided to keep that bit of information to herself.

"I have been on a mission." She briefly replied, a small yet polite smile on her lips. She wasn't going to bring up the topic again, especially since Sara was here, and judging by Lok's sigh of relief, she had done the right thing.

"Oh, that's understandable." Sandra returned softly. "I am glad that you are alright. I hope that you have been well after the last time we have seen each other."

Zhalia eyed Sandra carefully, something in the way Sandra's eyes softened the smallest of bits indicating that there was a bigger meaning behind her words. The last time they have seen each other was on the devastated battlefield when they have defeated the Blood Spiral and after Dante had returned and suddenly, the realization of what Sandra was implying overcame her.

She kept her surprise concealed behind her expressionless mask and yet, she knew that Sandra somehow managed to look through it. To the others, it seemed like a harmless question but Zhalia knew that Sandra knew very well what had happened.

Zhalia gave the blonde woman a small nod as a reply and watched how Sandra gave her a sad smile in return, her eyes shining with dim understanding.

Sandra knew that it must have been hard for Zhalia since in comparison to the others, she was not oblivious to the bond she and the auburn haired seeker shared. Zhalia and her have both gone through the pain of losing someone they cared deeply, and even though Dante managed to return, the pain was still there. Zhalia was a strong woman, she knew that much, but losing someone you love no matter for how long was something that could break even the coldest heart.

"How long are you planning on staying?" Sandra suddenly inquired, trying to change the topic to a more pleasant one and Lok turned to look expectantly at Dante. He hadn't mentioned how long their little break would last and now that he thought of it, he hadn't mentioned what he had to take care of either.

"Around two days, only if that is alright with you of course." The amber eyed seeker politely replied, and Sandra waved her hand at him.

"Of course dear, you are welcomed to stay as long as you want." She assured them, and Dante gave her a grateful nod. Lok visibly relaxed and leaned back in his seat, glad to hear that he would be able to spend some time with his family. Suddenly, he realized that he had forgotten something important or well, rather _someone_.

"Mom, where's Cathy?" He curiously asked, having completely forgotten about his sister for the past few minutes. He knew that she was busy with school and had heard that she also had a part time job now, but he had hoped to see her before they would leave for their rooms to rest.

"She is sleeping over at a friends and is going to return tomorrow morning." She informed them, and Lok gave her a nod in return.

"Oh, okay." He returned, mildly disappointed. Sandra immediately noticed the change in her sons mood and cleared her throat.

"Well, word has reached me that the infamous Huntik team has been out on a mission." She knowingly started, and within a matter of seconds the group fell into a comfortable chatter.

They all spend the rest of the evening talking happily to each other, telling Sandra about the mission they have been on and plenty of other things.

Soon, it was nighttime and the Huntik team retreated to their respective rooms. Whereas the girls shared the guest room, Lok, Den and Dante slept in Lok's old room.

They changed their clothes and as soon as their heads have hit the pillows, they all fell into a deep slumber, not knowing what would expect them tomorrow.

Well, everyone with the exception for a certain amber eyed seeker.

 _The next morning_

 _County Kerry_

 _8:37AM_

It was Morning in Ireland and the sun was already high in the sky. Zhalia woke up by the sunbeams that fell through the window and gently caressed her creamy colored skin. She blinked awake and turned to look at the clock that was next to her, just to see that it was still rather early in the morning. She as well had miraculously fallen asleep as soon as her back had hit the mattress, the exhaustion that had build itself up over the past week having taken over her all at once. The bluenette rolled onto her back and turned her head aside to look at Sophie and Sara who were seemingly still sound asleep, tangled in the white blankets that Sandra provided them with.

Deciding that she has had enough rest for now, Zhalia stood up and grabbed her change of clothing out of her backpack before she silently made her way into the bathroom to change and clean herself.

Exactly twenty minutes later, the raven-haired female made her way out of the room, dressed in her usual attire, and closed the door softly after her in order not to wake the others.

Zhalia then made her way through the corridor and down the stairs, the smell of fresh coffee and pancakes immediately filling her nose.

The living room was empty, what wasn't much of a surprise to her since she already knew that the others were rather heavy sleepers and liked to sleep in, so she headed towards the kitchen where she was greeted by the sight of Sandra was flipping a pancake in the frying pan, the ease of the move clearly showing that she had years of experience.

Zhalia leaned against the doorway with her arms crossed and smiled slightly to herself as she looked at Sandra's back.  
"Impressive." She complimented, and even though Sandra didn't turn around to look at her, Zhalia knew that Sandra was smiling.

"Thanks dear, I have had years of practice as you can already tell." Sandra replied with a light chuckle before she placed the pancake on an empty plate. She then turned around to look at Zhalia with a bright smile that eerily reminded her of Lok's before she grabbed the pot that was filled with coffee and poured some into an empty cup.

"Here you go." She then passed it to Zhalia who gratefully accepted it. She took the cup into her hands and raised it to her lips, taking a small sip of the black liquid.

"The others are still asleep, I assume." Zhalia conversationally started as she watched how Sandra leaned against the kitchen counter, a cup of coffee in her hands as well.

"Actually, Dante has already left. He asked me to tell you that he'll be back around noon." She informed the bluenette, and Zhalia hid the way the corner of her lips curled downwards by once more lifting the cup to her lips. She took a sip and felt how the hot, bitter liquid ran down her throat in contentment before she once more moved it away from her mouth.

"I see." Was all she offered in return, purposefully keeping her voice neutral. She watched how Sandra eyed her with a knowing smile for a moment and watched how she opened her mouth to say something, but just the sound of footsteps reach their ears.

A couple of seconds later, a rather sleepy looking Sophie was walking into the kitchen, giving the two females a polite smile.

"Good Morning." She greeted them politely, taking a seat at the already set table, lifting her hand to cover her mouth as a yawn dared to escape her lips.

"Good Morning Sophie, did you sleep well?" Sandra politely asked, already preparing a cup of tea for Sophie, remembering how the young girl had once told her about not liking coffee. Sandra then placed the cup on the table in front of her with a smile, which Sophie kindly returned.

"I slept perfectly fine, and thank you." Sophie replied, taking a sip of her tea before she turned to look at Zhalia.

"You seemed to be quite tired as well." Sophie commented with a smile, her eyes filled with small concern. Zhalia was usually the last one to fall asleep, no matter the circumstances and to see her being the first ones to fall asleep was quite concerning. It was true that she and Sophie sometimes had their arguments, but it still didn't mean that Sophie didn't care for her as a friend or teammate.

Zhalia gave her a small shrug in return, not quite knowing what to say in this kind of situation. She has been quite tired, so denying it wouldn't do any good, but admitting it was just as uncomfortable for her, even if she didn't show it.

"Sara is already awake, she should be here any moment now." Sophie continued, knowing that she wasn't going to get a reply other than the shrug from Zhalia. She didn't mind, knowing that Zhalia never liked to talk much, especially about her weak moments even though being tired was something completely normal.

Sandra gave Sophie a nod and turned to finish the last preparations for the breakfast and only a couple of minutes later, they all were sitting on the table and were having break-fast together. Lok and Den somehow managed to join them just in time, both still half-asleep and only awake thanks to Sophie barging into their room and throwing pillows at them, muttering something about being polite towards their host on her way outside.

After breakfast, each one of them occupied themselves with the most different things. Cathy had already returned, but didn't stay long because she still had to go to work, only returning home to change her clothes. Sophie was absorbed in one of her books and while Den and Lok were playing chess, Zhalia trained her spells in the backyard. Sara was watching Zhalia closely and had to admit that she was quite impressed. Zhalia seemed to be an experienced seeker, the way she moved and called spells leaving Sara wondering how long she was a seeker already.

Sandra came up to Sara from behind and laid a comforting hand on her shoulder, also looking at Zhalia with a smile.

"Impressive, isn't it?" She spoke, earning a mute nod from Sara in return. Sara's icy blue eyes were still steadily fixed on Zhalia who was currently practicing her thought-specter, seemingly unbothered by them watching her.

"She seems so calm." Sara breathed, not finding the right word to describe the calm aura Zhalia currently gave off. To her, it seemed like Zhalia has had years of experience and that using spells was as easy and natural for her like breathing.

Zhalia seemed calm and focused at the task of hand, not allowing her surroundings to distract her, what made Sara watch her in pure admiration.

She heard Sandra who was standing next to her chuckle softly at her words. "Why of course. You know, everyone is able to use spells or to summon titans if they want to, but having control over your powers is something that is difficult to a lot of seekers. For some, it takes years until they are able to properly use spells and even then, it doesn't mean that they have mastered them."

Sara attentively listened to Sandra's words, and couldn't help but sigh. "Even if I were to become a seeker, I will never become as good as her." Sara spoke lowly, biting her lower lip.

Sandra hummed in return and gave her shoulder a squeeze, her eyes still fixed on Zhalia. "You can't know that. It doesn't necessarily depend on how long you are training. Some people train for years and still are weaker than others who have only trained for a short period of time. Zhalia and Dante both became a seeker at a very young age already and have spent most of their life training, and even though Lok for example isn't as strong as them, it is only partly because he has only recently became a seeker."

Sara frowned at Sandra words, obviously confused. "I don't quite get what you mean." She admitted with a sigh, and Sandra gave another small chuckle at her.

"Lok is a strong seeker, and he has by far less experience than Zhalia and Dante do. Then again, Sophie as well grew up being a seeker and has been raised with the knowledge of spells and titans just like Zhalia and Dante. The reason as to why Lok and Sophie won't be able to get as strong as them is quite simple actually." Sandra told Sara and a small, sad smile formed itself on her lips.

Sara instantly noticed the shift in Sandra's aura and saw how her expression saddened, much to her surprise and confusion. "And what would that reason be?" Sara inquired softly, turning to look at Sandra. The blonde woman faltered for a moment before she exhaled deeply, a reminiscing look entering her eyes as her eyes once more turned to look at Zhalia.

"They managed to gain power by making huge sacrifices and if it weren't for all the hardships they have overcome until now, individually or as a team, they wouldn't be as strong as they currently are. The roots of powers lay in emotions and memories. It takes time to gain control over them and to accept them. You have to learn how to control your emotions and powers no matter the circumstances, and many make the mistake to let their emotions control them and their powers. There is a difference that only few know of. " Sandra revealed softly, and Sara pursed her lips into a thin line in return. Her blue eyes fell back to look at Zhalia who either hadn't listened to their conversation, or pointedly decided not to comment on it. Zhalia seemed to be quite strong and now that Sara thought of it, she must have overcome a lot of hardships in her life. Maybe that was the reason as to why she was more of the silent type.

"So what you are saying is that the key to power is not only experience and training, but to also to learn how to control your emotions and powers?" Sara inquired, slowly starting to realise what Sandra was trying to tell her.

"Let me tell you a story." Sandra replied softly. "There once was a boy, he was a quite talented seeker. He was strong and many admired him for his skills since he, at a very young age, was far stronger than others older than him were. He had only one weakness, and that was that he allowed his emotions to control his powers. Whenever he was mad, he lost control over his powers and was unable to keep them in check. Whenever he was sad, it was harder for him to summon titans and spells and whenever he was happy, he was able to control them perfectly fine." Sandra told her, hoping to ease Sara'a confusion and that it would help her to understand.

Sara suddenly remembered when she had accidentally shot the spell at Sophie and inwardly cringed at the memory. It wasn't her intention and the more she thought of it, the more she understood Sandras words.

"Learn how to use the power your emotions provide and control them so that they will be of use for you. Don't let them affect you any more than necessary. " Sandra summarised and gave Sara one last squeeze on her shoulder before she turned to leave back into the house, leaving Sara alone with her thoughts.

She knew that Sandra was right but until now, she had never considered to look at it that way. She had always thought that the source of power laid in experience and training, but she would never have thought that emotions and memories were playing that much of a big part in it as well.

Sara knew that sooner or later, she would have to become a seeker if she didn't want to lose her memories of the past days and if she were to be honest, she didn't want to forget it all either. Of course at first, it was quite terrifying and she was scared, but as time had passed she had slowly come to accept it all.

She still wasn't quite sure if it was the right thing to do, but she wasn't going to sit there and do nothing while the others were endangering themselves for her sake. She hated being helpless, and maybe if she were to become a seeker she would actually be able to make a change, if only a small one.

She has made her decision.

Inhaling shakily, she took a series of steps forwards and turned to look at Zhalia who has put her practice to an halt to look at her.

"Zhalia, please teach me how to become a seeker." She spoke in a breath, her heart beating faster than it ever did. Sara knew that she had sealed her fate but strangely, now that she had spoken the words out loud it felt as if a heavy burden was lifted off of her shoulders.

Her blue eyes met Zhalia's hazel ones and Sara tried her best to bravely maintain her gaze. Silence engulfed the two of them and for a moment Sara regretted having asked Zhalia for help. She mentally concluded that she should have asked Dante or Lok for help and just as she was about to tell Zhalia that it was alright if she didn't want to help her, Zhalia spoke up.

"Are you sure?" Zhalia inquired gravely, wanting to make sure that Sara was aware of the consequences and responsibility that would follow her decision.

Sara gave her a curt nod and froze as she saw how Zhalia turned around, her back now facing Sara as she moved to the middle of the yard without as much as another word. She then turned to look at Sara over her shoulder and arched an eyebrow, a small smirk on her lips.

"What are you waiting for?" She asked, and watched in amusement how Sara slumped her shoulders in relief.

She threw Zhalia a broad smile and sprinted towards her, still not quite believing that she would learn how to use spells. It all seemed surreal, and she genuinely hoped that she wouldn't regret her decision anytime soon.

"Ready?" Zhalia inquired seriously as Sara reached her, the two of them now facing each other. If Sara really wanted to become a seeker there would be no turning back, so she had to make sure that Sara knew that there would be no turning back.

Sara put on the most serious expression she could muster up and gave Zhalia another determined nod in return, gulping down the lump that formed itself in her throat.

"Ready."


	13. Verdict

**A/N:** Hey there! Thanks for reviewing the last chapter! I am glad to see that you all liked it. Anyways, this chapter contains some Zhante so make sure to pay close attention ;) I hope that you like it and please, leave a **review** and tell me what you think! Enjoy!:)

 **P.S:** As always, thanks to my guest reviewer Carter Casterwill for reviewing the past chapters. I am glad that you like it and appreciate your support!

* * *

 **CHAPTER13**

"Alright, we'll start with an easy spell." Zhalia started, straightening her back as she took a deep breath. She knew that with Sara, she would have to completely start over since she had no kind of knowledge about how to use spells.

Sara gave her a nod in return, her expression still holding the former determination and Zhalia bit the inside of her cheek.

Zhalia could see that Sara took it all serious, what was a good thing, but Zhalia couldn't help but wonder if Sara was ready to enter their world yet. Zhalia saw potential in her, she had a strong will as Sandra had already mentioned before but maybe because of this she would get more troubles in the future. If she were to become a strong seeker, she would get targeted by many and even though she would know how to defend herself by then, it still wasn't something pleasant. She knew best that becoming a great and strong seeker had its price.

"The first spell I am going to teach you is called everfight. It's a healing spell that allows you to heal yourself and restores your energy and health if you have gotten attacked." Zhalia spoke, figuring that it would be useful for Sara to know how to heal herself in case of an attack.

To know spells like Boltflare would also turn out to be useful, but not in Sara's early stage. She had to know how to defend herself first before she would learn how to attack.

"Everfight." Zhalia called and as soon as she had uttered these words, the familiar amber hue surrounded her and she felt the warm rush of energy flood over her.

Sara watched how the spell engulfed Zhalia in awe, genuinely surprised by the calm and soft aura it gave off. Her skin was tingling softly and her wide blue eyes mirrored the amber hue of the spell as her orbs watched how the spell slowly faded into nothingness.

"Wow." Sara breathed, a small smile forming itself on her lips as she realized that soon, she would be able to use it as well. A small rush of excitement flew through her which she skilfully kept concealed, trying to keep as professional and calm as possible.

She didn't want to use spells at first because she didn't want to hurt others, especially after the Sophie incident, but she didn't know that healing spells also existed. It somewhat eased her worry of injuring others, and even though she would only defend herself and hit others if necessary, it was still good to know.

She was glad that Zhalia decided to teach her a healing spell first, if she were to be honest.

Zhalia gave a small smile at Sara's expression and refrained from shaking her head. Lok has had a similar reaction if she remembered correctly and even though she knew that it must be pretty exciting for Sara, she would have to know that even a spell as easy as this one would be hard to master at first.

"This spell may seem easy, but since you are a beginner and have never used a spell before with the exception of yesterday, it will probably take some time." Zhalia told her, running a hand through her midnight blue hair. Sara gave her a nod in return and straightened her posture, her shoulders tense as she gave Zhalia a stiff nod.

"Well, how do I do it?" Sara inquired, mentally preparing herself as best as she could in a situation such as this one.

"You have to focus and concentrate on the spell and as soon as you think that you're ready, all you have to do is call it's name, just like I did." Zhalia explained, trying to word it as understandable as possible.

"Alright." Sara replied. "I will try." With that, she closed her eyes and took even, steady breaths. She tried to follow Zhalia's instructions and did her best to focus on remaining composed. She didn't know what it was that was supposed to happen or how she was supposed to feel but as for now, nothing seemed to have happened and she also didn't feel any different.

"Everfight." She uttered under her breath and waited for something, _anything_ to happen but again, nothing seemed to have changed. She waited for another couple of moments before she eventually cracked open an eye, looking expectantly at Zhalia who merely gave a sigh upon seeing that it didn't work. The bluenette didn't expect it to work at the first try, but there wasn't even a trace of magic to be seen.

"We won't get far like this." Zhalia commented flatly, eyeing Sara closely. The brunette blew a strand of her brown hair that fell out of place out of her face and run a hand over her face, disappointment clearly written over her face.

"You are way too tense, you can't force the spell. Just remain calm and relaxed, imagine the spell in front of your eyes and as soon as you think that you are ready, call it. Remember, your powers are already a part of you, all you have to do is to unlock them." Zhalia advised, knowing how disappointed Sara must have felt after she realized that it didn't work at first. Her posture was way too stiff and even though she tried to focus, it was already painful for Zhalia to watch her. In order to master the spell Sara had to be relaxed and acknowledge that her powers were already there.

Sara slumped her shoulders in an instant, the breath she had been unknowingly holding leaving her lightly parted lips in the process. She knew that she was tense, but it was because she wasn't sure how else to act. They told her that using spells wasn't easy, and that it took time until she would get it especially since she was a beginner, so of course she thought that the more she concentrated, the easier it would get.

Deciding that Zhalia knew what she was saying, Sara followed her words and exhaled deeply and straightened her back, trying to remain relaxed as she did her best to get rid of the tension that flooded her body.

Her eyes fluttered close and in comparison to the last try, she remained perfectly calm.

"Better." She heard Zhalia's soft comment, her voice breaking through the darkness that filled her vision. "Now, try to focus on your powers. Just visualize what your goal is and as soon as you feel the slightest bit of change, call the spell." She explained, and Sara unconsciously gave Zhalia a nod in return.

Sara inhaled deeply through her nose and tried to follow Zhalia's advice, the images of the spell surrounding Zhalia entering her head in an instant. She focused on the way the amber hue engulfed Zhalia's body and the warm aura it gave off, creating a soothing effect.

Then it happened.

Sara felt something in her snap and suddenly, she felt how a rush of something that felt similar to adrenaline filled her veins, her heart warming and goosebumps covering her skin.

A small gasp left her lips at the familiar, yet foreign sensation that overcame her and all of sudden it felt like her senses were screaming at her to act, to do something and _fast._

It was as if all her senses were dulled and she felt how her hair stood up at the back of her neck, a small whisper leaving her breath before she was able to comprehend what was going on.

"Everfight."

As soon as she had uttered the name, a warm feeling engulfed her and surprisingly, it felt more natural than her then she had expected it to be. It was pleasing and somewhat soothing as well, and Sara couldn't help but smile lightly. She felt like she had just received a light energy boost, similar to the feeling of a fresh breeze hitting you on a hot summer day and as soon as the realization of what was happening hit her, her eyes flew open wide.

The warmth disappeared all of sudden, making her feel exposed to the world as her blue orbs scanned the area until they caught Zhalia's hazel ones, her heart skipping a beat.

Zhalia eyed Sara blankly, no trace of emotion visible on her face but then, Sara saw something flicker in her brown eyes. The corner of Zhalia's mouth were tugged upwards into a small smirk as she crossed her arms above her chest, eyeing Sara with a tilt of her head.

"It was a good start." Zhalia praised, and Sara gave a sigh of relief at her words. She still couldn't believe what had just happened, but hearing that she had done well on her second try gave her some more motivation and confidence.

"So, it worked?" Sara inquired, the trace of hope in her voice not escaping Zhalia who in return nodded.

"It was weak, but it was there." Zhalia informed her, and Sara couldn't help but give a relieved smile. So she didn't imagine it and it was real after all, much to her surprise and awe. That it was weak didn't bother her, she was glad that it had worked in the first place and knew that with some practice, she would be able to master the spell as well.

Sara returned her gaze to Zhalia and directed her smile towards the older female as she put a strand of her brown hair behind her ear.

"Thank you Zhalia." Sara spoke, catching said female by mild surprise which she of course, managed to hide. Zhalia evenly returned Sara's gaze and remained silent, not having expected Sara to thank her. She knew that Sara wasn't only thanking her for teacher her the first spell, but also for giving her a chance. Zhalia knew best that for the people who gave you a chance, you would do anything and how much it must have meant for Sara that Zhalia was willing to teach her and somewhat, took her under her wing as well.

"You can thank me giving it another try kiddo. This time, don't hold back." Zhalia nonchalantly returned, but the ghost of a smile that her lips formed gave her away.

Sara's smile turned to a grin as she gave Zhalia a leisured salute. "Alright teach." She replied, and for the first time since what felt like forever, Sara was actually enjoying herself.

The two of them kept on practicing the spell for another hour and eventually, Sara managed to call it without having much troubles. Zhalia was quite impressed that Sara was able to learn it that fast but then again, Sara seemed to follow her advice without hesitation and was genuinely interested in learning it, in comparison to the others who wanted a break what felt like every two minutes. She remembered how desperate Lok had grown after he was unable to properly call a Boltflare but with Sara, it was slightly different. She attentively listened to the advice that Zhalia gave her and didn't complain once either, remaining relaxed during the entire lesson. It was much more easier and pleasant to work with someone who seemed genuinely interested and didn't interrupt her after every word, Zhalia concluded.

If Sara would stay this way, Zhalia doubted that she would get any troubles in the future regarding learning new spells, what would certainly make it easier for all of them.

During their little training session, the two females were seemingly unaware of the pair of blue eyes that watched them, a small smile on her owners lips as she watched them train through the kitchen window.

Sandra placed another dry plate into one of the cupboards and gave a small sigh to herself, pleased that Sara had taken her advice to heart.

She had done her part, and now all there was left for her to do was sit by and watch how another seeker was born.

 _County Kerry_

 _The Lamberts house_

 _One hour later_

It was when he heard Zhalia calling a spell that Lok jumped in his seat, his head shooting upwards to find Den looking at them, equally alarmed. Startled and concerned, the duo sprang up and sprinted towards the backyard where they had heard the shout coming from without a second thought, passing a confused Sandra on their way outside.

The two entered the backyard with their senses on high alert, scanning it for any kind of threat or attacker. To their surprise and confusion, all that greeted them was the sight of Zhalia and Sara standing next t each other, a Boltflare on Zhalia's palm. The two of them looked over to where Lok and Den had busted through the door, Sara slightly started whereas Zhalia managed to seem both confused and annoyed at once.

"What's going on? I heard you calling a spell, are you alright?" Lok questioned alerted, his wide and blue eyes scanning their surroundings. Silence followed his question and upon realizing what was going on, Zhalia rolled her hazel eyes at the two teens, mildly amused yet annoyed. She allowed the spell on her palm to fade away before she put her hands on her hips, looking at the duo who seemed more than lost upon finding no sign of an attack.

"We're obviously fine." Zhalia sighed. "I was only showing her a spell, no need to panic." She assured them, the spark of amusement that entered her eyes earning a groan from Den.

The brown haired seeker ruffled his hair in frustration and looked at the two females with a half-hearted glare, obviously displeased by the false alarm.

"You should have warned us or something, I actually thought that you were getting attacked!" He exclaimed with a small pout, Lok giving a nod that indicated that he was siding with Den on this one.

"Yeah." Lok agreed, before something that Zhalia had said caught his attention."Wait, why are you showing her a spell?" He asked, blinking out of confusion as he looked at Sara and then back to Zhalia who massaged her temples. Den was now looking at them as well, his curiosity perked upon hearing Lok's question.

"Am I not allowed to?" Zhalia flatly returned, arching a perfectly shaped eyebrow at the teens in front of her.

"That's not what he meant." Den knowingly returned as his eyes fell back to Sara, who eyed Lok in mild amusement. Den instantly noticed the way her forehead was covered in a small layer of sweat and that her long, brown hair was lightly messier than it has been before. Suddenly, her blue eyes met his and it was only then that he had noticed that he was staring. She gave him a confused look as he quickly averted his eyes from her and turned to look at Zhalia, trying his best to act as indifferent as possible while he inwardly cursed himself for paying a little too close attention to Sara.

"I have asked her to teach me some spells." Sara answered Lok's former question with a kind smile, returning her gaze to the blonde haired boy. Den raised his brow upon hearing it, immediately getting what she meant without her having to actually saying it out loud just yet. So she had decided to become a seeker after all, what left him wondering what the reason for her rather sudden change of mind was.

"So, that means that you-" Lok cut himself off, unsure whether he should end his question or not but upon earning a nod from Zhalia, he allowed himself to grin brightly.

"So you've decided to become a seeker?" Lok exclaimed gleefully, genuinely happy to hear that she had decided for it and not against becoming a seeker. He had come to take a liking to her and it was always nice to get a new colleague, so he was genuinely happy for her.

"Yes, she did and now cut the shouting Lok." Zhalia curtly spoke, earning a sheepish chuckle from the blonde in return.

"Sorry." Lok swiftly apologized before he turned to look at Sara with a bright grin. "So Zhalia is your mentor, right?" He inquired curiously, realizing that she would be Zhalia's first pupil. Sara hesitated for a moment and turned to glance at Zhalia from where she was standing, not quite knowing how to answer Lok's question. She had asked Zhalia to teach her a spell or two, but it didn't mean that Zhalia was her mentor especially since she doubted that Zhalia would have the time and interest in teaching her all the spells and how to fight. She was an experienced seeker and one of the strongest of the Foundation, if she were to believe what Lok had told her on the plane, so she didn't think that someone like her would waste her time with some inexperienced teen like her.

Zhalia remained silent for a moment. She as well hadn't actually considered becoming her full time mentor yet. If she were to, she would have to take full responsibility for Sara and would have to invest a lot of time into her training. She would also have to join the team on most missions so that Zhalia could keep an eye on her and she would gain some experience. It would be tiring and yet, Zhalia concluded that in comparison to Dante, she would have an easier job with Sara than he had with Lok.

"Looks like it." Zhalia firmly returned, earning a surprised glance from Sara. Zhalia knew that she must be surprised because she herself was surprised by her own answer as well, but she concluded that it would be the easiest and most safe way. Now there was a total of four teens she would have to take care of and now that she thought of it, she would also have to talk to Dante about this. It was her choice if she wanted to take Sara as a pupil or not, but her joining the team was something that he would have to approve first, but she didn't think that he would refuse to take her in.

"Wow, to think that we started off as a four men team and now are six already is quite impressive." Lok commented with a soft sigh, a small reminiscing smile playing on his lips. Den in return gave a small snort and shook his head.

"My only worry is that we won't fit into the jet anymore." He told them in a joking matter, and even though he seemed to not care about Sara joining, Zhalia could see that he was quite content with it and if not, a little excited upon being able to tease and annoy someone whenever he felt like it. He wouldn't be the newest member of the Huntik team anymore so just like Lok and Sophie had often done with him because of his rather little experience, he would do with Sara. Not because he was holding a grudge against her or didn't like her, but simply because he _could_ and also because seeing Sara getting mad was really entertaining in his opinion. He used to do the same with Sophie and occasionally Lok but since they were a completely other type and Sophie only scolded him for playing pranks on them, he eventually stopped doing so. Sara though was different and instead of scolding him, made sure to get her payback. They were arguing almost all the time about the most random things and since he knew that she didn't particularly like him because they started off anything but pleasant, it made it all the more fun.

"Hey, what are you all doing?" Came a new voice from the door, followed by the sound of footsteps approaching. Lok turned to see Sophie approaching them, her face holding both curiosity and confusion as to why the entire team was seemingly plotting something without her. The Casterwill girl came to an halt between Sara and Lok, looking expectantly at the latter to fill her in on what was going on. Feeling Sophie's questioning stare on him, the blonde immediately complied to his girlfriend silent wish.

"Nice timing Soph." Lok started with a smile before he moved to lay an arm around her slender shoulders, much to her surprise. She was unable to do anything though because his next words made her freeze out of surprise."We were just talking about how Sara is Zhalia's first ever pupil since she decided to become a seeker."

Sophie's eyes widened for the split of a second before she turned to look to the left, catching Sara's lightly nervous gaze with her surprised one. Out of all the things, she expected this the least and even though she knew that it would only be a matter of time until Sara would also become a seeker, it was a surprise nonetheless. She also thought that there would have to be some convincing on their side until she would eventually yield, but that she decided to become one a day later was quite unexpected.

"Really? That's great news!" Sophie exclaimed delighted, giving her a soft smile before she turned to look at Zhalia. "So, you're going to be her mentor?" She inquired interested, not having expected Zhalia to be the one to take on the task of teaching Sara.

The bluenette gave her a curt nod in return and mentally sighed, not knowing why they were making such a big deal out of it. She would teach Sara how to become a seeker, so what? It wasn't like she was going to teach her how to become the next ruler of the world.  
"So she's the new member of the team, I assume." Sophie went on, earning another firm nod from Zhalia in return. Sophie gave a small smile at this and was quite glad to hear that she would join their team as well. It would make protecting her easier since this way, they would be able to watch her better. She had already come to take a liking to her as well and since Sara seemed to be quite nice, Sophie was more than alright with it. They still knew very little of her but then again, when Dante had taken her and Lok in they barely knew anything about each other as well. They would notice if it wouldn't work out with Sara in their team, but Sophie genuinely doubted it.

"Alright then, what kind of spells are you currently teaching her?" Lok inquired curiously, genuinely interested in the progress Sara was making under Zhalia's watch. There was a difference between being Dante's pupil and being Zhalia's. Whereas both were great and strong seekers, they had different, yet the same way of teaching them so it would be interesting to see with what Zhalia started.

"I taught her Everfight and now she is in the midst of learning how to use Boltflare." Zhalia replied, and couldn't help but smirk upon seeing the look of disbelief on Lok's face.

"She already knows how to use Everfight and is about to learn Boltflare? _Already_? Didn't you start training only an hour ago?" Lok inquired in disbelief, not believing that Sara already managed to master two spells within an hour.

Zhalia sighed. "She knows how to use Everfight, but still has her problems with it. She didn't even try to call a Boltflare yet Lok, you know how long it takes to master spells." She returned with a shake of her head, and Lok gave her a nod of understanding.

"Why don't you show us?" Lok suggested with a smile, turning to look at Sara who froze upon hearing his words.

Show him? She was far from being able to call it without concentrating properly and she doubted that she could do so while being watched, by four people who were top seekers at once nonetheless. Zhalia, seemingly sensing her discomfort, figures that she probably wouldn't refuse Lok but was anything but pleased by the suggestion, especially since Sophie gave a nod out of agreement at Lok's suggestion.

"Give her a break Lok." Zhalia told him in a disapproving matter. "I know that you all are curious and excited, but it doesn't help the matter at hand so would you be as kind as going back inside so that we could proceed with the training?" She irritably returned, clearly not in the mood to present them Sara on a silver plate. She could understand their excitement and curiosity but if they wanted to see Sara using spells in near future, they shouldn't interrupt their training.

Lok gave Zhalia a disappointed pout, having hoped to get a little presentation of Sara's recently gained knowledge and ability to use spells, but he also understand that she must feel quite uncomfortable and thus, didn't further insist.

"Alright." Lok yielded with a sigh before he turned to look at Den. "Let's go back inside, we still didn't finish our game of chess." He reminded his teammate, receiving a nod in return.

With that, the trio left back inside, leaving Zhalia and Sara once more on their own. Sara slumped her shoulders and rubbed her forehead, glad that she managed to get out of this rather uncomfortable situation with Zhalia's help.

"Thanks Zhalia." She spoke, grateful that she had helped her out when she needed it. Zhalia gave her a nod in return, mutely telling her that it was alright before the two of them proceeded to go on with their training.

They have spent two more hours until Zhalia concluded that it was enough for the day, the sun having already set and Sara looking quite exhausted already. She only taught her the basics and since Sara was able to call Everfight and was on the right way to learn how to use Boltflare, she didn't want to tire her too much and scare her off. During their entire session she hadn't heard Sara complain even once, what was quite a pleasant surprise. As a seeker, to train with someone is a great way to bond and whereas Zhalia tried to stay as professional as possible, she had managed to pick up a lot of things about Sara and also found out a couple of interesting things.

She was a rather silent type, but knew how to defend herself if necessary especially if provoked by others. Whenever she had her mind set on something, she was determined to get it no matter how hard she would have to work for it and even though she was as old as Den, Lok and Sophie, she seemed to be quite mature already.

The two made their way back inside where Sandra was already waiting for them with dinner, much to Sara's delight. Zhalia decided to take a shower before she were to go downstairs to meet them and thus, went upstairs with only briefly notifying them that she would be a little late for dinner.

The bluenette swiftly took a shower, knowing that it would be considered rude to let them wait, before she dressed into a fresh change of clothes and made her way back downstairs where the others were as predicted, already waiting for her.

Dinner went by without anything special happening, but they all noticed that something was missing or rather someone, the empty chair reminding them of their mentors absence. Zhalia decided not to further dwell on it, knowing that it wouldn't make a difference either and eventually, she managed to get herself distracted.

It was evening already and the team was gathered in the living room. Sophie was telling Sara about the Casterwill family on the couch, Den and Lok were occupying themselves with their video games and Zhalia studied some files on her Holotome in the armchair, Sandra knitting something on the far end of the love seat.

It was when the front door opened that they all paused what they were doing and turned their heads to look at it, just to be greeted by the sight of their mentor.

"Dante!" Lok exclaimed in glee, glad to see that their mentor had returned from whatever he was doing for the past hours. He had expected him to return way sooner, and was quite surprised to see that he only returned now. Whatever his business in Ireland was seemed to be rather important if it took him the entire day to take care of it.

"Where have you been all day? We were wondering when you would return." Den told the auburn haired male who placed his coat on the coat rack before he moved to lean against the door frame to look at his team.

"I am sorry." Dante apologized, a small smile on his lips that Zhalia noticed didn't reach his eyes again. "It took longer than expected, but I have news for you." He told them, immediately gaining their interest. He gave a small smile to himself, knowing his team well enough to know that he had gained their full attention by now.

"What kind of news?" Sophie inquired inquisitive from where she was seated next to Sara. Since Dante has been gone the entire day, she hoped that it would be good news instead of bad ones for as of now, there haven't been any good news for the team lately, except for Sara joining the team of course. Then again the circumstances under which she joined weren't quite pleasant as well, but Sophie concluded that it's the result that counts.

"On my way back I bumped into Scarlet." Dante informed them, and Sophie and Zhalia instantly tensed upon hearing him mention the ginger haired female. Zhalia's gaze instantly sharpened and she couldn't help but doubt that the two of them randomly bumped into each other. She really tried not to care since it was none of her business, but she couldn't help but dislike her. Zhalia could immediately tell what a persons character was like by exchanging a few words with said person and with Scarlet, it was safe to say that she may have some knowledge about local legends but else, had very little to offer. She wasn't very strong, and the aura of the typical sweet damsel in distress she gave up was not helping it at all, just like how she was more than obviously trying to gain Dante's attention what was rather unprofessional as well.

"Oh really?" Sandra inquired with a surprised smile, looking up from her work to see Dante give her a nod.

"What a coincidence." Zhalia commented with a mocked smile, a soft roll of her eye following afterwards. She heard Sophie giving a small huff out of amusement at her comment, knowing that the Casterwill wasn't too fond of Scarlet either, but for different reasons. In comparison to her, Sophie disliked Scarlet out of pure jealously and Zhalia had to admit that even though it was understandable, Zhalia couldn't dislike a person just because of jealously. If she were a strong and wise seeker, Zhalia would treat her as an important equal but since it was Scarlet they were speaking off, she didn't bother to pretend that she liked her.

Dante fought the smirk that played on his lips upon seeing the girls reaction, having already expected it. He would have been quite disappointed if they didn't make a comment, for he knew that they were not what he would call getting along well with Scarlet. They remained professional in her presence, what was more than pleasing, but they didn't bother to hide what they were thinking about her in his presence.

"As I was saying." Dante continued in his usual professional tone, acting as if nothing had happened and pointedly decided to let Zhalia's comment slide without any further comment. "I bumped into her, and she told me that she needed someone to help her retrieve an amulet." He swiftly informed them, and Lok immediately caught on with what Dante was saying.

"A mission?" Lok asked excitedly, earning a nod from Dante in return. Sophie pulled a grimace when she thought no one was watching, but Sara caught her displeased expression and decided that she would later ask Sophie who this Scarlet girl was. Zhalia's expression was blank, no trace of emotion visible on her face since she had already seen it coming the moment Dante had mentioned her. Den looked mildly excited whereas Lok was clearly enthusiastic.

"Yes." Dante curtly confirmed, smiling upon receiving the teams mixed reaction. He knew that even though Zhalia and Sophie were obviously not liking the idea, they, especially Zhalia, wouldn't reject the mission just because of Scarlet being there. She was far too professional to do something like that.

"Awesome!" Lok exclaimed excitedly. "When will we leave, and what is it about?" He questioned, blue eyes filled with obvious delight upon receiving another mission with Scarlet, his old babysitter, nonetheless. Sophie shot him a pointed look which he seemed to be oblivious too, his girlfriends concerns seemingly going unnoticed by him.

"She'll arrive around ten in the morning and will explain what it is about. We'll leave right after, and the mission isn't supposed to take longer than a couple of hours since the location of the titan is supposed to be fairly close." Dante explained, earning a nod from his team in return.

"Got it." Lok said with a salute, and Sandra gave a small chuckle at her son. She knew that he had missed going on missions and now that they have gotten the opportunity to do so, with Scarlet on top of that, she could only imagine his excitement.

"Maybe you should go and take a rest for tomorrows mission. It's quite late already anyways." Sandra advised softly, giving the team a smile. Lok was the first one to reluctantly stand up from his seat, knowing that his mother was right, followed by Sophie and eventually Sara and Den. Zhalia didn't make any move and remained seated, seemingly not intending to leave like the rest, just like Dante.

"Alright. See you tomorrow then." He spoke as he gave his mother a small kiss on the cheek before he disappeared upstairs, the others following close behind. Sandra gave a contended sigh upon seeing the teens disappear and shook her head softly before her eyes fell onto the remaining pair.

"I will also take my leave then. Have a good night, and try to get as much sleep as you can." Sandra told them with a pointed look, earning an amused nod from Dante in return before she also walked upstairs, deliberately leaving already.

Dante and Zhalia were the only ones left now, and the thick silence that engulfed the two was more than palpable. Zhalia gave a small sigh before she turned her head to look at Dante, her hazel eyes immediately catching Dante's amber ones for the first time this day. She instantly noticed the dark circles under his eyes and the way his posture was lightly slumped, as if he was not having the energy left to keep himself up but due to him leaning against the door frame it was not as visible to the others as it was for her. He has let his guard slip in front of her, on purpose or not that she didn't know, and she wasn't sure whether it was a good, or bad thing he did considering that he was obviously tired and tried to hide it from her.

"How was your day?" He suddenly inquired, a small smile on his lips and Zhalia couldn't help but notice the way he seemingly tried to distract her from reading him.

"It was interesting." Came her honest reply after a moment of silence, one leg crossed over her other as she steadily kept her eyes locked with his amber ones. Before he was able to question her any further, she decided to speak up before he would be able to do so.

"Took care of your business?" She inquired, and Dante didn't fail to notice the way she lightly hesitated before she asked the question. He in return gave her a small nod and tilted his head lightly aside, his eyes never leaving hers. He didn't verbally answer her question though and somehow, Zhalia couldn't help but feel lightly disappointed. Dante was keeping a lot of things from her lately, and even though she wouldn't admit it, it did disappoint her and wonder what it was that he was up to. Things changed between them, she knew that much, but to see how the one she had come to trust the most kept secrets from her was leaving Zhalia feeling frustrated.

"So it has come to this already." Zhalia spoke with a bitter chuckle, straightening in her seat. Dante's gaze turned into a questioning one as he heard her words and Zhalia let out a grueling sigh, trying to remain composed. Her expression was blank and it felt as if the temperature in the room dropped a few degrees, the disappointment that flashed in her hazel eyes for the split of a second the only thing that gave her away.

Dante's eyes softened as he realized what she meant and he pushed himself off of the door frame and took a step into the room, not breaking the eye contact.

"Zhaal." He spoke her name firm, yet softly and Zhalia couldn't help but feel her stomach turn upon hearing the way he called her name, the familiar sensation that filled her only fueling her anger towards both herself and Dante.

"No Dante." Zhalia firmly spoke, lifting her slender hand into the air that resulted him to halt in place. She didn't want him to tell her because he felt like he had to and instead, wanted him to talk to her and tell her about whatever was going on simply because he wanted to. It wasn't her business and yet, knowing that some time ago he used to be more open and honest towards her was leaving her restless, whether she liked it or not.

Dante noticed the way she stiffened as he took a step towards her and couldn't help the light frown that graced his features. Something was bothering her, and knowing that he was the cause for her distress was not easing his worries at all.

"Zhalia, it's nothing big so there is no need to worry." He assured her, intending to ease her temper but unfortunately it seemed to have the opposite effect on her.

Something in her snapped upon hearing his words, and she couldn't help but exhale deeply, her suspicions of there actually being something that he was hiding from her just having gotten confirmed. She knew that he was keeping something from her, that much was obvious, but to actually hear him admit it was still unpleasant to hear.

"You may be able to fool the teens, but not me Dante." Zhalia told him with a frown and stood up from her seat, turning so that they were standing opposite from each other, only a couple of inches separating the two of them.

"I don't expect you to tell me, because it's none of my business. " She admitted curtly, her hazel eyes narrowing the slightest of bits. "But if it concerns the team or any of it's members, I have a right to know:"

Silence followed her words, and Dante closed his eyes out of exhaustion, a small sigh escaping his lips. He knew that Zhalia was not easy to fool, but it was for her own good so he tried not to get her involved.

"It's nothing." He once more returned, not meeting her gaze and that's when Zhalia lost it. She took a stride towards him and tilted her head upwards to meet his gaze evenly, their noses almost touching while her hazel eyes were burning out of anger. Dante calmly returned her gaze

"I dare you to look me into the eye and repeat what you just said." She whispered menacingly, and even though she was angry at him he knew that it was her was of showing that she was only worried for his well being.

Dante remained silent and simply gazed into her hazel eyes, his lips pursed and remaining sealed due to knowing that he would be unable to fulfill her request. Zhalia remained in this position for a moment before she gave a curt huff, her eyes softening the slightest of bit.

"Thought so." She commented dryly upon seeing that he wasn't going to speak up and so, she moved to take a step back. Dante though seemed to have noticed that she was going to move and without any hesitation, moved to grab her wrist to prevent her from leaving. Before she was able to realize what was going on, Dante pulled her against his chest without another word and wrapped his arms around her slender waist, firmly keeping her in place.

Zhalia froze in place and her breath hitched upon feeling his arms around her waist, the familiarity of this move making her fell nauseous. Her arms were hanging loosely at her side and for the first time in the past months didn't she know what to do, neither relaxing in his embrace nor moving away from it.

Dante knew that she was most likely having mixed feeling at the moment and moved to gently caress the back of her head before he gently tucked it under his chin, his other arm around her waist tightening. It was then that Zhalia allowed to let her guard down and relax under his touch, hesitantly moving to wrap her arms around his torso. Her ear was placed against his chest and she was able to heal the steady, yet calm beat of his heart and couldn't help but sigh at the situation she found herself in. She promised herself not to give in too easily, to stay consequent after what had happened and yet here she was, in his arms. He had once more managed to break her walls and for a moment Zhalia was glad that he did.

"I am sorry Zhaal." He whispered gently, his voice low and a mixture of regret, exhaustion and affection. The past few months have been more than stressing and nerve wrecking for the both of them and he as well had suffered under it all, just like she had. Dante was beyond exhausted and tired of it, inwardly wishing that they would have met under different circumstances because this way, it may not have gotten this complicated. It was as it was, and even if he wanted it to be different, he knew that it was impossible. He was sure about one thing though, and that was that he would not risk to strain their bond as he had previously done again. He would keep her safe and by his side, no matter what it would take. As for now, he would try to enjoy the time they were able to spend together without being in danger and savor the feeling of her being in his arms, a feeling that he had yearned to feel for the past months.

"I know." Came her low whisper, it almost having slipped his keen hearing. Dante tightened his hold around her and closed his amber eyes shut, allowing the feeling of bliss to completely take over him. His mind was set, and nothing could change it.


	14. Castle Trip

**A/N:** Thanks for the great feedback! I really appreciate it! I hope that you will like this chapter as well, and if you did please leave a review, it would mean a lot to me. Enjoy!

 **P.S:** Thanks to my guest reviewers Guest, Carter Casterwill and Amelia for reviewing the past chapter as well!

* * *

 **CHAPTER 14**

It was morning and the Huntik team was already gathered in the living-room, waiting for Scarlet to arrive. It was already ten in the morning, so she was due to join them any minute now and to say that the team was having mixed feelings about her was an understatement. Lok was beyond excited upon seeing her again and going on a mission whereas Sophie was clearly trying to come on terms with the current situation. Sara was slightly nervous since she hasn't been on a mission before, and even though she knew how to heal herself it would still prove to be a challenge for her. Den was nervous as well, but for different reasons than Sara was. He wondered whether Harrison would also join them but since Dante had only mentioned Scarlet, he doubted that he would see his brother just yet, much to his disappointment. He would still make sure to visit him at least once before they would leave, that much was certain.

Then there were Dante and Zhalia, who haven't talked to each other ever since the previous night. The two of them went straight to bed after their little talk that had taken a rather interesting twist, and Zhalia couldn't help but feel frustrated. The two of them have been standing there for a series of minutes, both of them remaining silent and not saying a word to the other, simply enjoying each others company. Whereas his embrace was sudden and she was sure that it served to distract her from her former thoughts, she knew that it was his way of showing that he was not only sorry but also, wanted to put an end to their arguments. She as well wanted things to return back to its former state and the mere fact that she had allowed herself to give in instead of pulling away only confirmed as much, but they both knew that it wouldn't be as easy. Not because of their feelings, but because as for now things were anything but safe. Dante obviously was meddling with some rather dangerous business and didn't want Zhalia involved, what was enough to worry her the more. He never kept secrets from her, he had always shared his worries and plans with her no matter how dangerous they were but now that he was fevery trying to keep her out of this, Zhalia had every reason to be concerned, especially since the chances of the Spiral Mark being active were quite high.

She only hoped that history wouldn't repeat itself.

"What's taking her so long?" Came Lok's groan, his pacing through the living-room momentarily paused. He has been excited ever since Dante had woken him and Den up, and knowing the blonde he would have liked to leave the instant he had opened his eyes.

"It's only five minutes past ten Lok, I am sure that she will be here any moment now." Dante assured the blonde from where he was seated on the armchair, taking a sip of his coffee afterwards. As if on cue, the doorbell rang and Lok's head shot upwards, his blue eyes turning to look at Dante in surprise, Den and Sophie mirroring his surprised look. Zhalia merely lifted a perfectly shaped eyebrow and Dante in return simply smirked at his team, Sandra moving to open the door for the ginger haired female.

"How did you-" Lok begun to ask, but then swiftly closed his mouth, knowing that Dante had this rather scary ability of foretelling things right before they happened. He always said that it was his gut feeling and yet, Lok started to think that his mentor possessed some secret powers.

"Scarlet my dear, come in!" They heard Sandra greeting Scarlet cheerily, and almost a moment later the two females appeared in the living room. Scarlet was dressed in her usual attire, her now lightly longer orange hair falling over her shoulders and reaching her mid-back. Her usual bright smile was lighting up her face and Zhalia instantly noticed how her eyes instantly fell on Dante and not to Lok, whose face has also lightened up upon seeing his old friend again.

"Scarlet!" He exclaimed in delight, taking a couple of steps towards her. Scarlet turned her head to look at him, her smile still firmly set in place and Sophie instantly felt irked by her grin. It seemed as if it was plastered on her lips and didn't seem quite natural either, and Lok's glee upon meeting Scarlet again was only worsening her mood, especially since she still didn't forget what he had said back on their first mission on the plane.

"Lok, everyone, it's so good to see you all again!" Scarlet exclaimed as a sigh of content left her lips, her green eyes falling onto the team before they rested on Dante, who gave her a polite smile in return.

Den gave her a small nod, intending to stay polite since he had no reason not to be, but his eyes instantly fell on Zhalia and Sophie who both remained silent, Zhalia's expression blank as she as well gave her a small nod out of acknowledgment, Sophie settling on a small hello.

"It's good to see you again as well." Dante friendly returned, and Scarlets eyes instantly lightened up upon hearing his words, what didn't go unnoticed by the others. They all knew of her little crush on Dante, except for Sara who was eyeing her with a mixture of emotions. She seemed to be nice, but Sara couldn't help but feel that something was slightly off with her.

"I can't thank you enough for helping me with this mission." Scarlet started, her voice sounding grateful and excited at once. "I would have gone with my team, but they have been assigned on another mission." She informed them, and Den felt a wave of disappointment wash over him. He had already expected something like this, but it was still not nice to hear.

"Do you know when they'll be back?" Den curtly inquired, making the red-head look at him. Scarlet's eyes were filled with light confusion before her eyes widened the slightest of bits upon recognizing Den as her teammates brother, a soft smile touching her lips. She pondered for a moment before she tilted her head lightly aside, pale green eyed fixed on the brunette male.

"They should be back around noon. I am sure that you'll be able to meet him before you leave for Venice." She told him, and Den gave her a grateful nod in return. He was relieved to hear that Harrison would return on this very day because if he was on a mission himself, the chances of them meeting before Den were to leave would be slim.

Scarlet gave him one more smile before her eyes then caught sight of Sara who was seated between Sophie and Zhalia on the couch, her pale green eyes meeting her blue ones in confusion, which she managed to hide behind her smile.

"I don't think that we have met before, have we?" Scarlet politely asked, her smile not faltering and yet, the spark of confusion in her eyes was enough for Zhalia to know that she was quite surprised upon seeing an unfamiliar face, especially since she was a female.

"We didn't." Sara confirmed with a nod, still unsure what to think of the green eyed female. "I'm Sara, and I take that you're Scarlet?" She inquired politely, earning a small nod from Scarlet in return.

"I am." Scarlet returned, her smile ever present as she then turned to look at Dante with a small questioning look in her eyes.

"I didn't know that you were taking your apprentices on missions." Scarlet commented, her voice dripped in sweetness and upon hearing her words, Zhalia couldn't help but frown. She knew that Scarlet had most likely sensed that Sara was more or less inexperienced and didn't see any titans with her either, but a comment like this was rather inappropriate, especially since she came to conclusions without asking anyone beforehand.

Sophie pursed her lips at her comment and while Dante and Lok seemed quite unaffected at it, she couldn't help but wonder if they pointedly let her comment slide or simply refused to take it the bad way.

Sara seemed lightly uncomfortable by now, biting the inside of her cheek as she wondered whether she should correct her or should simply leave her in her belief. Zhalia felt her anger spark the lightest of bits and was about to speak up, but Den beat it to her.

"She isn't his apprentice." He informed her curtly, his brows lightly furrowed as his gaze was evenly fixed on the red-head. "She is a member of our team, and Zhalia's student." He clarified, earning a surprised look from both Scarlet and Dante.

Zhalia's expression remained blank, but she inwardly smirked upon hearing Den's words and seeing their reaction. Dante didn't know of Sara being Zhalia's student since she didn't get to tell him yesterday, just like he didn't know that Sara was going to officially be a member of their team. With her being Zhalia's student, it was already more or less settled, but she knew that as a team leader Dante still had to give them his final blessings.

Zhalia knew that he wouldn't refuse Sara joining the team and Zhalia becoming her mentor since he had already planned on suggesting it the moment he told Zhalia to be the one to talk to her. He knew that it was only a matter of time, but it was still surprising to hear that they have settled on it all and that Sara seemingly decided to become a seeker while he was gone.

"Oh." Was all that Scarlet offered in return, but she didn't seem to be the least bit sorry about her false assumption.

Sara was surprised to hear Den correcting Scarlet and couldn't help but wonder what he was planning. He never did anything nice without expecting anything in return or having planned to prank her, so she didn't know whether she should be grateful or careful to watch out for his next possible lark.

"Well now that we took care of that," Lok started, hoping to ease the lightly tense atmosphere as he cleared his throat and looked at Scarlet. "What is the mission about?"

It took Scarlet a moment to process Lok's question before she threw him a small smile.

"The mission is about retrieving the amulet of the banshee that resides in the nearby Castle." Scarlet told them, and Lok's eyes widened at her words.

"Banshee?" He echoed, voice laced with uneasiness. Of course it sounded interesting and it would probably be fun, but he has heard a lot of things about banshees already and they weren't good things either.

Scarlet gave a small chuckle at Lok's uneasy expression. "Don't worry Lok, the titan probably won't be hard to find." She assured him, and Lok gave her a small nod in return. Zhalia though arched an eyebrow as she looked at Scarlet, her blank expression still firmly set in place.

"Why did you want the entire team to accompany you then?" She inquired despite of already knowing the answer. She watched how Scarlet remained silent for a moment before she eventually turned to look at Zhalia, her smile instantly faltering slightly upon seeing the bluenette.

"Well, they do say the more the merrier." Scarlet returned with a smile, and Zhalia refrained from rolling her eyes. She then watched how Scarlet turned back to Dante and gave him another bright smile, completely ignoring the others.

"Shall we go then?" She asked and earned a nod from Dante in return. The auburn haired seeker placed his now empty cup on the table before he rose from his seat, the others following suit. The team swiftly grabbed their things and without any further delay, left the Lambert household.

 _An hour later_

 _County Kerry_

The sky was colored in a light gray hue and the Sun was hidden beneath the clouds, indicating that it was most likely going to rain. Fortunately, Ross Castle was fairly close so the Huntik team -plus Scarlet- didn't have any troubles on their way there and didn't get all too wet. Their walk had been quite uneventful, mostly due to a certain someone throwing herself on their team-leader the entire time. Scarlet and Dante were leading the group due to her knowing the way to the castle best and the ginger-haired female took every opportunity she was getting to engage him in a conversation, Lok who was walking next to her as well butting in every once in a while.

Sophie, Den, Sara and Zhalia were following some steps behind, not to keen on joining in on their conversation especially since it already looked like Lok was the third wheel.

Den was seemingly unconcerned and minded his own business, though he did have to admit that he was lightly amused by the others, especially Sophie's, current behavior. The Casterwill heiress was obviously trying her best not to openly glare at the red-head and tried to remain as professional as possible. She had already tried to join the conversation once before, but she had rarely gotten an answer and she doubted that her presence had been acknowledged in the first place what only fueled her mild anger.

With Sara's case it was lightly different. It wasn't like she hated Scarlet the instant she had met her, but she knew that she wasn't all nice and cheery as she pretended to be. It was also quite obvious that she was crushing on Dante, she realized that the moment Scarlet had entered and set her eyes on him. There was something that sparked in them the moment she caught his eyes and the way she acted around Dante was also proof enough.

Zhalia remained silent during the entire walk, the only time she had spoken up this day being when she had asked Scarlet why she had summoned the entire team. Zhalia knew that Scarlet would have preferred Dante only but since they were a team, it was impossible to spontaneously invite him on a mission and leave the others on their own without causing drama.

The castle itself was big, but by far not as tall at Lord Draculs castle had been. It seemed to be fairly old and was located on a small hill, the fog that surrounded the castle only giving off a lightly eerie atmosphere. Four narrow yet tall, square towers formed an almost perfectly squared barrier around the castle and were connected by lower, thin walls made of dark gray stones.  
Tall, wide windows are scattered generously around the walls in fairly symmetrical patterns, along with symmetric holes for archers and artillery. A vast and rusty looking gate with massive wooden doors, a draw bridge and a moat were the only way in, at least without taking down the castle walls with Metagolem so the team swiftly settled on the gate.

"Man, this looks creepy." Lok commented with a low whistle, his eyes fixed on the castle in front of them as they made their way to the gate. He put his hands into the pocket of his blue pants and instantly found his Kipperin amulet, the uneasiness fading away the moment he closed his fist around it.

The team reached the vast gate and stopped in front of it, their eyes falling onto the rusty bars that greeted them. There was no sign of any kind of lock nor something that indicated that they were locked close.

"Doesn't seem locked to me." Lok spoke up with a frown, suspicion filling his eyes. He knew out of experience that even though there was no sign of any lock, it didn't mean that they would able to open it without any problems.

Dante gave him a nod, thinking along the same lines as Lok did before he took a step closer in order to examine the gate. Nothing seemed to be off with it and thus, he turned his head to look at Sophie, who was already looking at him.

"Sophie, do you sense anything unusual?" He asked the strawberry-blonde haired girl, hoping that she would be able to help them out.

Sophie gave him a nod and closed her eyes for a brief moment as she allowed her senses to roam the area, trying to pick up any kind of magical trace. After a few moments of roaming their surroundings and picking up nothing, she frowned and opened her eyes to look at Dante.

"Strange, I didn't sense anything." She spoke lowly and turned to look at Scarlet with narrowed eyes. "Are you sure that the titan is in there?"

Scarlet seemed mildly surprised and if not even slightly offended at Sophie's words before she gave the female a nod in return. "Of course it is." She curtly replied, and Sophie eyed her for another moment before she looked back at Dante.

"Well as I already said, I don't sense any magic so I think that it is safe to enter." Sophie briefly informed Dante and earned a nod from her mentor. Dante turned around and put his hands into his pockets before he, without any warning, lifted his leg and kicked the gate open.

A loud, screeching sound followed right after as the gates flew open, sending a shiver down their spines. A gust of wind greeted them and suddenly, Sophie felt anything but tense. She couldn't quite put her finger on it but something was off with all of this. If there really was a titan to begin with, some sort of magic should have surrounded the castle in order to protect it but as for now, there was none.

Dante gave the team a small look over his shoulder before he started to walk towards the castle itself, the others following close behind without uttering a word. Zhalia was the last one to follow and if one would have paid close attention to her, they would have noticed the way she eyes the rear right tower with narrowed eyes. She could have sworn that she had seen something in one of the windows but as soon as she turned to take a closer look at it, it disappeared. The bluenette then moved to catch up with the others and couldn't help but feel the light uneasiness creeping up her feelings. She couldn't help but get reminded of the incident in Lord Draculs castle, the day that she has made a decision that had changed her life forever.

Of course, she tried not to think too much about it all but somehow, she couldn't help it. She was lost in her thoughts and memories, the days events flashing in front of her eyes like a broken tape, leaving her unable to detect the approaching footsteps. Suddenly, she felt a light touch on her shoulder and she instantly tensed, her head turning to her right just to see concerned blue eyes staring back at her.

Zhalia calmed upon realizing that it was only Lok and relaxed under his touch. She felt him giving her shoulder a reassuring squeeze and instantly knew that he had figured out the reason for her uneasiness.

She gave him a small smile in return and shook her head, mutely telling him that she was alright. He still didn't remove his hand though and inwardly, a part of Zhalia was glad that the blonde didn't. She didn't allow the past events to affect her job, that much was sure, but it was still somewhat assuring to know that she had someone who was willing to remind her that it was the past, and this was the present.

The team made their up the stairs that were leading to the castles entrance, a large, wooden door greeting them. As soon as the seekers were up the stairs, the doors suddenly flew open, startling the others. Zhalia and Dante remained impassive, but the rest visibly jumped in place. Sara's eyes widened considerably and Zhalia was sure that right now, she was most likely wondering what in heavens lead her into becoming a seeker.

"Doesn't that only happen in movies?" Lok inquired with a gulp as team exchanged a weary look with each other. Scarlet inched closer to Dante and laid a hand on his shoulder, worried pale-green eyes looking at him.

"We should stay close, we don't know what's going to expect us in there." She reminded him, and Dante merely gave her a small nod without turning to look at her. He then walked into the dark castle, the others following close behind. Even though Zhalia and the others were reluctant to admit it, they had to agree that they should stay close. If they were to get parted, there was no guarantee that they would find their way back to the others again.

"Boltflare." Dante called, lifting his hand as the familiar amber hue engulfed his hand, the spell fading into life on his palm. It immediately lightened up their surroundings and as soon as their eyes adapted to the light, they realized that they were standing in the middle of a huge hall. It was very plain, to say at last, and nothing much was in there with the exception for a huge crest on the opposite stone wall. Dante moved to look to their left and noticed that there was a hallway that lead into the depth of the castle, a similar one on their right.

"Just our luck." Den muttered under his breath, already guessing that they would have to split up in order to find the titan. He had a very bad feeling about this and didn't bother to hide his uneasiness. For a moment, the only sound that followed was the one of the raindrops hitting the stones, a thunder in the distance following right after.

"We have to split up, right?" This time it was Sara who spoke up, her gaze directed at Dante. As for now, she was doing quite well. She was nervous, of course, but she tried her best not to let it show and instead, focus on the task at hand. The brunette also disliked the ideas of having to part ways, even though she knew that the others were strong seekers, but to see that the others were also having mixed feelings about all of this were not easing her nervousness at all.

"Why, aren't you a bright spark." Den commented with a roll of his eye. Sara shot him a glare and clenched her fists tightly, wondering what she had ever done to upset him this much. Of course she wasn't too fond of him as well, but in a situation such as this one his comments were only worsening her temper.

She turned to look back at Dante and took a deep breath before she bit her tongue, trying her best not to curse him in front of the others.

"If we are going to split up, please put us in different teams and keep him as far away from me as possible. I can't promise anything if we were to end up being in the same one." Sara deadpanned, and Dante gave her a smirk that clearly mirrored his amusement. He tilted his head lightly aside before he gave her a small nod.

"Of course." Dante replied, and Den merely frowned at their exchange. His eyes were narrowed and he crossed his arms, obviously offended that Dante was taking her side on this one.

"I would like to see you try-" Den started, but before he was able to finish his sentence a loud slam echoed through the castle, making him whirl around just to see that the entrance doors slammed shut.

"What the-" Lok called alarmed as the ground beneath them started to shake,a loud rumbling sound following as the ceiling started to loosen and stones were falling down. At first, it didn't seem to be anything threatening but with every second that passed, the stones grew more and more large. The shaking ground beneath them was throwing the team off balance, making it harder for them to dodge them.

Zhalia's alerted hazel eyes tried to make out anything in the darkness, looking for what could have possibly caused the sudden earthquake but as for now, there was nothing.

All she knew was that it was starting to get dangerous, and real quick on top of that.

She looked to her right and saw how Sara was desperately trying to remain standing on her feet while Den had called an Armorbrand that surrounded the two. Scarlet was already on her knees, a look of panic crossing her expression while Lok and Dante were trying to dodge the rocks.

Zhalia dodged another rather large stone and swiftly landed on her feet, scanning her surroundings. She then caught sight of a rather large rock that was making its way towards Sophie, the Casterwill seemingly oblivious to it. She saw how Lok's blue eyes filled with panic as he as well had noticed and tried to make his way over her to push her out of harms way, but he was too far away and Zhalia knew that he would not make it in time.

"Sophie, look out!" Came Lok's warning call, and Sophie looked up just in time to see what he meant. Without thinking twice, Zhalia summoned Shadowspeed and run towards Sophie, reaching her just in time to push her out of harms way. She heard Sophie emitting a gasp as she fell onto the ground a couple of meters away, but she was unable to think any further. A blinding pain shot through her left leg, leaving her feeling as if Metagolem had stomped on it as she roughly fell onto the ground, her head hitting the solid ground with full force. She didn't scream, not did she cry, but despite of the ringing in her ear did she hear Den crying out her name.

Zhalia shut her eyes close and bit on her tongue to keep from crying out loud, the pain of her leg worsening with every breath she took.

She tried to move, but a gasp escaped her dry throat as she tried to move her leg beneath the large rock that had fallen upon it.

Suddenly, everything went silent and completely darkness surrounded her, leaving her confused and worried as to what had happened.

For some moments, all she was able to hear through the ringing in her ears was her own rapid heartbeat, before she suddenly felt how someone was grabbing her wrists. She tried to pull them back and out of the persons grip on instinct, but the grip on her wrist was firm and solid.

The next moment, the crushing weight of the rock was disappearing from her leg, earning a sharp inhale from Zhalia upon feeling the pain. She hissed through her gritted teeth and blinked twice in order for her vision to clear, and she soon found herself getting rolled on her back. A small breath out of irritation escaped her lips but the moment she saw Sophie's worried green eyes stare back at her, she somewhat felt relieved that she was safe.

"Zhalia!" She called out of relief upon seeing that the older female was still conscious. A small, pained groan escaped Zhalia's lips and Sophie's expression instantly turned into a panicked one, her eyes falling onto Zhalia's leg. Zhalia saw how Sophie's eyes widened before she bit her lower lip, a habit of hers whenever she was unsure of what to do.

"Everfight." Zhalia muttered under her breath, gulping as she felt the familiar rush of energy flowing through her. Another light appeared, this one green, and she assumed that Sophie was trying to heal her leg with Everheal right now. Zhalia tried her best to concentrate on the warm feeling of the spell but the pain was too great for her to be able to ignore. She has had a lot of injuries already, but the feeling of you leg getting crushed by a large rock and being conscious while you feel your bones shatter into pieces was anything but bearable, even for someone like her.

She eventually felt how the pain began to numb, and she knew that the spells were not able to heal an injury such as this one. She would have to use Everfight more often in order for it to heal properly but Zhalia knew that as for now, a numb leg was better than a hurting one.

"I'm sorry I can't heal it any further." Sophie spoke ruefully, the guilt and concern in her voice clearly audible as she removed her hands from Zhalia's leg.

"It's alright." Zhalia muttered, grateful that Sophie was able to heal her in the first place. Sophie then moved to help Zhalia sit up and it was only then that Zhalia was able to take a good look at the situation they were currently in.

The falling rocks have build some sort of wall that kept them isolated from the others, the darkness that filled their part of the hall leaving her almost unable to make out anything in the first place. It was when she turned to look back at Sophie that she noticed something out of the corner of her eyes. Her hazel eyes caught Scarlet sitting a few meters away from the two of them, her arms wrapped around her knees as she looked at the stone wall that separated the three from the others. Zhalia refrained from laughing at the irony of the three of them being stuck together and instead, turned to look back at Sophie who was kneeling next to her.

"We are stuck in here." Zhalia stated in a grumble, and Sophie gave her a nod in return, her emerald eyes flickering to Scarlet for the split of a moment before she looked back at Zhalia, her grip on Zhalia's forearm to steady her as firm as ever.

"Yeah. It sounded like Dante tried to use Metagolem to get through to us, but it didn't work. I think that I heard Lok and Den using some spells as well, but it seems like this castle is immune to any kind of magic." Sophie swiftly informed her as she wrapped Zhalia's arm around her shoulders and stood up, pulling Zhalia with her in the process. Zhalia instantly leaned her weight on her uninjured leg and mentally noted to thank Sophie later.

"So, we are able to use spells but not on the castle itself?" Zhalia inquired lowly, earning a nod from Sophie.

"Seems like it." Sophie returned with an exhausted sigh as she felt how her head began to throb, the upcoming headache being most likely inevitable.

She then turned to look at Scarlet and a spark of pity filled her emerald eyes, her heart clenching lightly as she figured that in this kind of situation, they all would have to work together in order to get out of there alive.

"Scarlet, are you hurt?" Sophie spoke softly and instantly gained the red-heads attention. Scarlet's head turned to look at Sophie, a mixture of surprise and exhaustion visible in her eyes. She then slowly shook her head no before she as well stood up, brushing the dust off of her clothes.

Sophie gave her a curt nod before she looked from Scarlet to Zhalia, her expression turning serious. With Zhalia injured and them being unable to use magic on the castle walls to break through to the others or outside, the only way out of there was by using the left corridor that had luckily been spared. If any rocks were to have covered it, they would have been kept in there. Sophie had only managed to get the rock off of Zhalia's leg with a lot of effort and no magic, so she didn't know what kind of traps and hardships would expect them in the depths of the castle.

Zhalia turned to glance at the hallway as well before she looked at Sophie and Scarlet, her expression grave.

"We should hurry if we want to get out of here alive. " Zhalia spoke, her eyes hardening. Sophie gave her a small nod that was followed by Scarlet's hesitate one. The three then slowly made their way towards the entrance of the hallway and with each step they were taking, their uneasiness grew. Now, they had to look for the titan and if they wouldn't find It within the next hours, they would have to find a way out of there before something worse would happen.

It would be hard, especially with Zhalia being lightly handicapped and Scarlet being her only back up in case something happened, Sophie concluded. The red head may be experienced, but by far not as strong as Zhalia or Dante. Sophie knew that Zhalia would not allow her injury to prevent her from fulfilling the mission or giving them a disadvantage, but it wasn't the possible disadvantage that worried Sophie, but Zhalia.

They would have to make a break every once in a while in order to prevent any serious damage on Zhalia's bones but knowing the bluenette, it would be hard to convince her to take breaks even if it was in order to heal her.

Sophie only hoped that the others were doing fine.


	15. Revelation

**A/N:** I apologize for the long wait but I had a lot of things which I had to take care of before updating!Also, **t** hanks for reviewing the past chapter! Please review this one as well so that I know whether you liked it or not.

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 **CHAPTER 15**

Dante's blood froze in his veins and he felt an icy shiver running down the length of his spine while his amber eyes widened. He saw the huge boulder falling down from the ceiling into the direction where Sophie was located at a frightening speed and Sophie didn't seem to have noticed the danger she was in yet. Lok's warning call reached his ears as he was once more forced to jump out of harms way as well, but a movement out of the corner of his eye made his heart skip a beat.

It was too late that he saw Zhalia move towards Sophie. He himself tried to run towards Sophie to push her out of the way and even though he knew that he would be too slow, he tried nonetheless.

He unconsciously called Nimblefire, the spell lending him the speed he was lacking off and for the split of a second, he was hoping that he would reach Sophie before Zhalia did.

Sophie was in reach and his arm was already extended towards her, intending to push her out of the way but just before he was able to do so, a gust of wind passed him and raven-blue entered his vision.

It was then that his heart dropped into the depths of his stomach and his expression visibly fell, sheer fear lightening up his amber eyes as the scene that unfolded itself in front of him burned into his mind. He saw how Zhalia moved in front of him and pushed Sophie out of the way, his fingers touching the material of her shirt before he was forced to let it go due to the bolder that fell between the two of them. Dante was unable to call the barrier in time and thus, was forced to jump out of the way before he himself would get hit as well. The loud rumbling mixed with Lok's worried shouts for their teammates echoed through the hall as Dante collided with the ground, his back hitting the ground harshly.

Then all of sudden, the grumbling disappeared and all that was left was the sound of Lok's worried shouts for his two lost teammates and Scarlet.

Dante immediately jumped back on his feet and run straight to where he was formerly standing at when the boulder came flying down, but the scene that greeted him was anything but pleasant.

The boulders and rocks have formed some sort of wall that cut Zhalia and Sophie off of them, and it didn't seem to be easy to move the rocks as well.

Dante instantly reached into the pockets of his lightly damp yellow coat and pulled out his Metagolem amulet with furrowed brows, his grip on the amulet as tight as ever.

"Help us out, Metagolem!" Dante called, and was relieved to see the familiar purple hue engulfed his fist as the titan materialized itself in front of him.

The stone giant was standing in front of him with it's gaze lowered onto Dante, obediently waiting for Dante to give it his orders.

"Metagolem," Dante curtly addressed the titan before he turned to look at he stone-wall and lifted his finger to point at it. "I need you to remove the rocks, but you have to be careful." He commanded sternly, the worry that laced his voice signalizing that the situation was grave. Dante wasn't one to grow worried fast, but he always had the habit of worrying over the smallest things whenever Zhalia was involved.

Metagolem gave Dante a nod before the titan turned around, the sounds of his massive footsteps echoing through the silent hall while it's white cape fluttered after it.

Dante then watched in silent anticipation how Metagolem moved to remove one of the upper boulders and just when the large titan grabbed it, something unexpected happened.

As soon as it came in touch with the stone Metagolem faded the slightest of bits and Dante felt a sudden pull on his energy, the sensation resulting with him grabbing his amulet tighter. He watched how Metagolem disappeared with confusion filled orbs, the weight that settled itself on his heart only increasing with every painful second that passed by.

He didn't know what had happened but as soon as he had tried to invoke Metagolem once more, the same thing happened, much to his and Lok's confusion.

"Touchram!" Lok yelled and shot the spell towards the stones but once again, nothing happened. He ruffled his blonde hair out of frustration while his fear for his teammates well-being rose. He never liked to split up and now that they were forced to part without knowing what was happening on the other side and whether they were hurt or not.

He looked over to look at Dante who seemed to be deep in thought and was most likely trying to figure out a way to get to them. Lok truly did feel pity for his mentor, since he had to bear the burden of being the team leader and that never was an easy position, especially when you were responsible for your team and it's members well being.

A sudden muffled sound reached Lok's keen ears and he immediately looked back at the stone wall with narrowed eyes. After there was no sign of anything being there, Lok shook his head and mentally blamed his already exhausted body for imagining things. He was about to completely dismiss it when another sound of movement reached his ear, this one more loud and clear that even Dante heard it. Dante's head snapped to where Lok had looked at mere seconds ago before he cautiously took a step closer to a rather large pile of rocks. Lok followed suit and mirrored his mentors actions but just then did the rocks suddenly came flying towards them, forcing Lok and Dante to jump a couple of meters back.

The now dusty air left Lok blind to his surroundings for the split of a seconds and the only thing his eyes were able to pick up was the silhouette of a person in the back who was moving to stand up. He immediately went into his fighting stance and tensed but just as he was about to ask who it was, a rather familiar voice cut through the deafening silence.

"Damn it all." Came a muffled mumble and it was then that Lok visibly calmed. The dust slowly began to clear and the blonde seeker noticed that Dante was already making his way towards the familiar duo that was shielded by an Armorbrand.

His blue eyes met Den's rather dusty and bruised form before they fell on a seemingly fine Sara sitting on the ground behind him, her worried icy blue eyes piercing through the darkness in an instant. It seemed like the two of them have been stuck in there until now and only thanks to Den invoking Armorbrand just in time, they managed not to get injured.

A small cough escaped Sara's lips as Den tried to pat the dust off of his clothes, resulting with Sara shooting him a half-hearted glare as she accepted the hand that Dante offered her. The auburn haired seeker pulled the brunette girl up on her feet and Lok noticed the way his eyes instantly scanned her and Den's bodies for any signs of injuries just like he had always done with him and Sophie in the beginning.

Lok allowed himself to smile lightly as he moved to join the three with a relieved sigh as he came to a halt next to Dante.

"Thank goodness you guys are alright. We thought that you were on the other side together with Sophie and Zhalia!" Lok told them, the relief that formerly allowed him to cover the concern for his other teammates before returning upon mentioning them.

He saw how Den's eyes turned to scan Sara's form for any bruises out of the corner of his eye before he turned to look at Lok, his lips pursed as his orbs grew concerned as well.

"We heard Sophie calling for Zhalia and then there was some talking, but we couldn't make out what it was about. Scarlet was with them as well, I think." Den informed the two, and Lok dared to take a peek at Dante.

Dante's shoulders were lightly tensed and his back was straight whereas his lips were pursed. He was obviously not delighted upon hearing the news, but he knew that there was very little they could do about it. Getting to them was seemingly impossible as well, so all that was left for them to do was to find the titan as fast as possible so that they would be able to find the others as well.

Dante was staring at the exact place where Zhalia had pushed Sophie out of the way before he let out an exhausted sigh, the first signs of an upcoming headache already present.

"We'll look for the titan." Dante eventually spoke up, the authority in his voice clear as he turned to look at the remaining three members of his team, who were all giving him surprised looks.

"But Dante," Lok objected, his face holding a confused and concerned frown. "Sophie, Scarlet and Zhalia are still there, we have to get them first!"

Dante furrowed his brows at Lok's words and even though he had already expected the blonde to object and be opposed to his decision, his mind was set whether he liked it or not.

"It wasn't a question Lok." Dante reminded him with a sigh before his head turned into the direction of the door that lead into the depths of the castle. He then took his Holotome out of the backpack he carried with him before he opened the familiar device.

"Holotome, scan the area." Dante ordered tersely, and the device instantly followed his command. The green light turned to form itself into some sort of map and just as he was about to take a closer look, the green light faded into nothingness.

"Why am I not surprised." Dante spoke with a sigh as he closed the Holotome again and put it back into the backpack that rested innocently at his feet. Den run a hand over his face out of frustration and Lok kicked a small stone that lay on the ground, his hands stuffed in the pockets of his trademark blue trousers. They were obviously just as stressed as Dante was, even if he didn't outwardly show it and Sara had to admit that even if she didn't know them as long as the others did, she was just as worried for their well being. She had seen how Zhalia pushed Sophie out of the way without hesitation even though they didn't seem to get along very well on first sight, and Sara genuinely admired Zhalia for doing so.

"Looks like we'll have to be even more careful now." Dante told the others before his eyes hardened and he inhaled lightly. "Let's go and find the titan and then, save the others."

 _At the same time_

"Didn't we walk through this corridor already?" Came Scarlets inquiry, the impatience in her voice clearly audible. Sophie bit her tongue harder to refrain from a rather mean comment to leave her lips at Scarlet's inquiry due to the ginger head having asked the very same thing for the twentieth time within the past ten minutes they have been walking already. Sophie felt how Zhalia tensed next to her and knew that Zhalia also had to pull herself together in order to not snap at their current mission partner. The bluenette was able to walk by herself already, but only for as long as the spell she had used kept on numbing her injured leg so that she wouldn't have to feel the pain. It was hard to move with a numb leg, but this way she didn't have to rely on Sophie's assistance in keeping her on her two feet, even though the Casterwill girl insisted on walking right next to her in case Zhalia's leg would give in.

It was tiring for Zhalia to maintain the spell, especially since she couldn't put her entire energy into it because she would still have to be in shape in case of an attack, and Scarlets continuous nagging was only making it all worse.

She was walking a few meters behind them, and Sophie instantly took the opportunity to mutter a string of mild curses under her breath before she blew a strand of her lock out of her face.

"Wow, not bad princess." Zhalia commented under her breath, referring to Sophie's rather not lady like mutter and decision of words. Sophie in return merely huffed and brushed invisible dust off of her shoulders, her emerald eyes steadily fixed on the stone corridor that laid ahead of them.

"I had a good teacher." Sophie returned with a small smirk, and Zhalia merely shook her head in return. They have been walking in circles for what felt like hours, and ever corridor they walked through seemed to look exactly like the previous one, much to their irritation. They didn't have their Holotome with them so they were unable to scan the castle, and Sophie's location spell wasn't working as well. As for now, all they knew that they were walking through a maze that seemingly held no end.

"What are the two of you mumbling to each other about?" Scarlet asked irritated, obviously feeling left out as she moved to catch up with the two females of the Huntik team. The bolt flare that Sophie had called in order to illuminate the dark and rather frightening looking corridors flickered as Scarlet fell into step next to her, and Sophie had to inhale a deep breath in order to remain calm. Her ear was already throbbing from Scarlet's voice and she couldn't help but wonder how Lok had managed to spend so much time with her in the past. In Sophie's eyes, she simply was an annoyance who only complained and didn't even bother to take part in finding a solution or a way out of there.

"Nothing of importance." Sophie curtly returned as she forced herself to remain polite and to not let her exhaustion and displeasure regarding Scarlet's presence show.

Scarlet merely gave Sophie a disbelieving look as they rounded another corner before she hummed lightly, a sudden smile planting itself on her lips as she shook her head.

"I don't even know what you guys are worried about." Scarlet started in her usual rather cheery and carefree voice and instantly gained two mildly surprised and confused looks from Zhalia and Sophie. Scarlet's green eyes fell back onto the two females before she put a strand of orange hair behind her ear and she crossed her arms above her chest, her eyes softening.

Sophie shot Zhalia a look that suggested that Scarlet had most likely started to lose her mind already but before she was able to question said female for what she meant, Scarlet spoke up once more.

"Dante is going to find and save us any minute now, so I don't understand why you two are wasting your time looking for an exit." Scarlet clarified nonchalantly and Zhalia assumed that she either pointedly tried to get some kind of reaction from the two or she simply was oblivious to the it all.

Zhalia felt the spark of anger grow within her chest and she balled her fists tightly, her eyes narrowing into dangerous slits.

She couldn't believe what she was hearing and for a moment, truly was considering to leave Scarlet behind just to get her realize that Dante was no knight in shining armor that would save her if she were to wait for him. They couldn't keep on relying on him and expect Dante to do all the work on his own while they were just sitting around and waiting for him to save them. Zhalia was already certain that he was probably more than worried about them already and was beating himself up for leaving them out of his eyes, so she was even more determined to find the others as fast as possible so that they all wouldn't worry too much about them.

"Pathetic." Zhalia muttered under her breath, the word leaving a bitter taste in her mouth as she tried to calm down and focus on maintaining the spell on her leg that was growing more and more weak with every minute that passed by. She knew that a bone or two were crushed and tried not to move too much in order for them to stay in place and not to damage some other parts of her leg while she was walking.

"Pardon?" Came Scarlet's voice, and when Zhalia turned to look at Scarlet she noticed the way her expression was holding a cold frown. She had obviously heard Zhalia, but the bluenette didn't care the least bit and instead, was somewhat glad that she did hear her comment.

"I called you pathetic." Zhalia calmly repeated and watched in mild curiosity how Scarlet's frown grew even more prominent and she pursed her lips into a tight line. She was obviously insulted and displeased upon hearing Zhalia's comment and by now, Sophie was also watching the scene unfold itself in mild interest.

"And why would I be pathetic?" Scarlet curtly asked, her calm yet cold voice echoing through the silent corridors. The spell that Sophie called only lightened up half of her face, leaving an eerie shadow crawling over Scarlet's other half of the face. It suddenly felt as if the temperature dropped a series of degrees and Zhalia eyed the Irish female closely, eyes narrowed.  
"You may fool the others, but not me. You are not as innocent as you pretend to be Scarlet, and you know that I know so why bothering to even ask." Zhalia returned nonchalantly. She knew which buttons she had to push in order to get the answer she wanted, and judging by Scarlets sudden change in behavior she knew that she was pushing the right ones. She was determined to see Scarlet's true face, the one she hid behind her facade of the nice and understanding Irish seeker.

Scarlet remained silent for a series of moments before she shook her head, her hair falling over her shoulder so that it was shielding her eyes from them.

"Just because I know that Dante is going to come for me and not you, a traitor?" Scarlet spoke with a light chuckle and turned to look at Zhalia.

Suddenly, it all went silent. Sophie's emerald eyes widened out of surprise and her mouth was lightly agape as soon as the words reached her ears. She instantly knew what Scarlet was implying and turned to look at her in shock before she turned to look at Zhalia, silently wanting to ensure herself that Zhalia wasn't too affected by Scarlets comment.

Zhalia came to a sharp halt and her gaze snapped over to Scarlet to catch hers with her own one, hazel eyes burning with tamed rage and distrust. She turned to look at Scarlet just to find her smiling back at her, the same smile she used whenever they were around Lok or the others, what only enraged her even further. It felt as if something that she had tried to hold back for quite some time has been freed and faster than the eye could see, Zhalia moved to grab Scarlet's collar and roughly pushed her against the wall, her other fist glowing in the dark purple hue of the familiar spell that Sophie instantly identified as venom-hand.

Sophie's eyes widened and she moved to take a step forwards to stop Zhalia from doing anything reckless. She knew that Scarlets comment was unexpected and she as well wondered how she knew, but they couldn't hurt her just because she made a comment regarding Zhalia's almost betrayal.

"Zhalia-" Sophie called in alarm, torn as to what she should do to stop the older female but Zhalia's head turned to look over her shoulder to throw Sophie a pointed glare, making her shut her mouth in an instant.

Zhalia then turned to look back at Scarlet, hazel eyes burning with obvious fury towards the ginger-head that she had yearned to release one day. She carefully scanned Scarlet's pale face and instantly noticed the spark of fear that entered her green eyes before it disappeared just as fast, a wicked smile suddenly forming itself on her lips.

"You can't hurt me, Dante won't allow it." Scarlet drawled calmly, and Zhalia instantly moved her hand from her collar to encircle it around her throat without a second thought. She heard how Sophie took a step forwards but else didn't move to stop her and for once, Zhalia was grateful to Sophie that she didn't interfere.

Scarlet's eyes visibly widened at Zhalia's sudden movement, clearly taken off guard due to her having not expected Zhalia to go this far and she instantly grabbed Zhalia's wrist in order to loosen the grip she was having on her throat.

Zhalia's grip was firm around Scarlets slim throat, but it was nothing near life-threatening since she didn't put any pressure on it. It served as a scare, and it obviously worked.

"Oh really?" Zhalia hissed as she gave her throat a light squeeze that earned a gasp from Scarlet in return, panic flashing in her eyes the instant she felt Zhalia's slender finger tightening around her throat.

"You got ten seconds to explain how the hell you found out." Zhalia hissed threateningly and Scarlet let out a chocked gasp as she tried to remain calm under Zhalia's grip. She knew what the bluenette was capable of and didn't want to die at her hands either.

"Zhalia, what are you doing?" Sophie called concerned as she took another step closer so that she was standing next to Zhalia and placed a hand on her forearm. She didn't know why Zhalia was reacting this way. Of course with Scarlet knowing about Zhalia's former position it would prove to be even more difficult to keep the red-head from remaining silent about it and it wouldn't surprise Sophie if she would 'accidentally' mention it in one of the council meetings, but it took a lot for Zhalia to lose her temper.

Zhalia's head snapped to her right to look at Sophie with an impatient glare, the frustration she was feeling clearly showing on her face.

"I thought you were smarter than that." Zhalia dryly commented but before Sophie was able to actually realize that Zhalia had just somewhat insulted her intelligence, she continued to speak up.

"No one except for the team and Metz knows, and if she didn't got it from us she has to have gotten it from somewhere else or rather, from the source of problems itself." Zhalia swiftly explained and as soon as Sophie realized what she was hinting at, Sophie's emerald eyes widened in surprise and shock.

"No way." She breathed in surprise as she took a step back, wide green eyes turning to look at Scarlet in pure disgust. She couldn't believe what she was hearing but judging by the way Zhalia's expression was grave, she believed her. Zhalia always had the ability of reading people like open books just like Dante and now that she thought of it, Zhalia's explanation did make sense. It would explain quite some things and even though she hated to admit it in a situation such as this one, Zhalia and her both were once more right with their suspicions regarding Scarlet.

Zhalia moved her hand close to Scarlet's face until it was mere inches away from the now pale faced girls face, the spell being dangerously close to her skin and Scarlet gulped down the scream that dared to escape her throat. A chocked sound escaped her lips as she tried to remain perfectly still since if she were to move her head, the spell would grace her cheek and they all knew it.

"What did they promise you?" Zhalia questioned coldly, her hazel eyes scanning Scarlet's frightened expression closely. She seemed to be genuinely scared of Zhalia but said female couldn't bring herself to feel pity for Scarlet. As she noticed that Scarlet hesitated, she abruptly pulled back her glowing fist and just as she was about to release her punch, did Scarlet decide to speak up.

"Dante." She called out, much to Sophie and Zhalia's confusion and surprise. Zhalia's fist remained in mid-air and her face was now holding a prominent frown. She didn't know whether it was her answer or she simply tried to call for Dante in hope of him finding and saving her.

"They promised you Dante?" Sophie repeated with narrowed eyes, not knowing what to make out of Scarlets answer. She knew that Scarlet had a crush on Dante, that much was obvious, but who and how someone would promise Dante to Scarlet was leaving Sophie confused.

Scarlet remained silent but as Zhalia tightened her grip once more, she let out a small squeak and nodded.

"They promised me power." Scarlet clarified as she struggled to loosen Zhalia's grip on her throat but unfortunately, it didn't seem like it seemed to have any effect on her. "With their promised power, I'll be able to get Dante and with you out of the way, there will be nothing that could stop me."

Zhalia felt as if her heart skipped a beat and someone had just punched her right in the face. What Scarlet said had genuinely surprised her and upon paying it a second thought, it all made sense as well. It always was easy to convince others of doing something if you had the right thing in your hand and with Scarlet's obvious obsession with Dante, she was an easy victim. She obviously thought that with the power they were going to give her or already did, she would be able to impress Dante and may even get him to herself. It was then that Zhalia noticed something she had previously missed and now that Scarlet's words repeated themselves in her mind once more, Zhalia felt her heart clench out of mild concern.

"What do you mean with me being out of the way?" Zhalia questioned with a frown and she felt how Sophie tensed next to her, the blonde having obviously missed this detail as well. Scarlet gulped once more and looked Zhalia straight in the eye, not even blinking once and that was when Zhalia knew that even if they would find a way out of the castle, only more troubles were ahead of them.

"They're after you." Scarlet revealed tersely, not sounding the least bit concerned or sorry about aiding them in trying to hurt Zhalia. "They want revenge for your betrayal and trust me when I say that this time you won't get away with some bruises only."

Zhalia's eyes widened for the split of a second as she felt a wave of dread wash over her like a flood before something in her snapped, and she pulled back her fist, determined to let it loose this very instant.

"Not if I kill you." Zhalia reminded her but Scarlet seemed quite unconcerned all of sudden, as if Zhalia's threat was just as harmless as a barking dog.

"You can't, and you know it." Scarlet reminded Zhalia with a light smirk, her green eyes shining in the dim lightening of the spell and reflecting her obvious aversion for Zhalia. "They won't believe you, whether I die or get out with you."

Zhalia opened her mouth to respond but just then a piercing sound preventing her from uttering a word. Her grip on Scarlet instantly loosened and she swiftly moved to cover her ears with both of her palms, the piercing scream that reached her ears resulting her to feel dizzy. It felt as if someone had put thousands of needles in her head and Zhalia was sure that by now, her ears were most likely bleeding already.

A pained groan escaped her lips as she looked at Sophie who was mirroring her and also covered her ears in hope to somewhat block out the noise. Scarlet was crouched on the ground and covered her ears with the heels of her hands, a scream escaping her own lips that only worsened it.

Zhalia forced her eyes to remain open as she turned to look at the end of the corridor just to find a woman standing there, her long and wet black hair reaching the ground while she was dressed in a white dress, her mouth apart as the scream left her lips. Zhalia instantly realized that it had to be the banshee they were looking for and cursed herself for getting distracted by Scarlet and that she didn't pay enough attention to her surroundings.

The pain was getting worse and worse and Zhalia felt how the painful throbbing in her leg returned all of sudden, the spell having seemingly disappeared which resulted her to fall on her knees. She blindly shot a spell into the direction of where the banshee was standing at but it seemingly had no affect at all.

Zhalia felt the pain growing unbearable and she dared to take a glance at Sophie just to see her kneeling next to her, tears running down her cheeks before her body suddenly grew limp and collided with the ground.

She didn't know whether her teammates name had actually left her lips or not due to her not being able to hear anything except for the painful scream, but the darkness that crept up the edge of her vision was enough to worry her. She couldn't pass out in a situation such as this one, she had to stay awake and fight the titan but no matter how hard she tried, the pain was growing unbearable to the point that she felt her own body growing too exhausted and her ears were ringing. The blackness then took over her entire vision and before she could prevent it, she lost consciousness as well.


	16. A race against time

CHAPTER 15

 _At the same time_

Dante was getting frustrated, and that was something that only rarely happened. They have walked through the corridors for what felt like hours without getting any further, and with every time they rounded a corner and were greeted by the seemingly same corridor, Dante felt more and more restless.

They should have found something, _anything_ that indicated that the titan was in there and yet, there was nothing until now. On top of that, half of his team was missing and possibly injured as well what only worsened the matter at hand and caused the others to get distracted by their own thoughts quite fast.

"It's useless." Den spoke up as they rounded another corner and were greeted by the same sight again, which was another dark and cold corridor. His voice echoed through the silence and he shook his head, obviously displeased by the outcome of this mission so far. He, just like the others, hoped that this mission would prove to be interesting and to some degree fun as well but as a seeker, Den knew there were also missions that would be quite nerve wrecking, such as this one.

"There's nothing we can do about it." Lok commented with a sigh, equally as annoyed and worried as Den was.

Sara remained silent and kept on walking next to Dante, who was seemingly deep in thought and thus, she didn't even bother to disturb him. She had a sinking feeling that this mission would turn out to be worse than what they have expected but if she looked at it from the good side, it can't get any worse than this either. Also, now that her first mission was a rather complicated and hard one judging by the others frustration, she guessed that the missions that would expect her in the future couldn't get any harder than this one what was both troubling and relieving.

First things first though, they would have to find a way to get the titan and then find the others, and that was easier said than done.

Her blue eyes were roaming the dark corridors with a heavy heart, hoping to find anything that may aid them to find a way out. It was as if they were walking through a maze and if they were to stay here much longer without finding anything, she was certain that they would gradually start to turn insane.

Her orbs took in the sight of the dark colored walls on her sides, the raindrops that were running down the bricks indicating that it was most likely still raining.

They have almost passed this corridor as well and were just about to turn the corner as all of sudden, Sara stopped dead in her tracks. Her blue eyes were steadily fixed on the wall in front of them and she couldn't help but feel a light shiver run down her spine.

She could have sworn that she heard something in the distance, and it eerily sounded like a faint sound, but as soon as she tried to make out what it was it had stopped. All she was able to make out was that it came from the direction that they have formerly come from, and that was enough to alarm her.

It was possible that someone was following them, or that it was the titan who had either stumbled across Zhalia and the others or was close behind them. Either way, it was enough to indicate that the team was in danger and thus, she knew that they would have to act fast.

"Sara, what's wrong?" Came Lok's concerned question as he had stopped upon seeing that she wasn't following them any more, Den and Dante having turned to shoot her a questioning glance as well.

She returned their gaze with an even one by herself as she lifted an eyebrow, blue eyes filled with mild confusion. "Didn't you guys hear that?" Sara asked, and upon receiving the questioning stares she wondered if she had only imagined things.

"Turning insane already?" Den commented with a snort, and instantly earned a death glare from the

female brunette.

She, however much she had wanted to knock some sense into him, turned to Dante instead and gave him a lightly concerned, yet serious look.

"I heard a sound coming from the direction that we originally came from, but I couldn't make out what it was." Sara tersely informed him, and Dante instantly frowned. He hadn't heard anything but then again, he had been quite occupied by his own thoughts and he doubted that Sara would lie to them or imagine things in a situation as grave as this one.

Either way, it were no good news and if her words were to be proven true, he assumed that it could only be the titan. It was a banshee after all and if the sound had only faintly reached Sara's ears, it must probably be at a farther part of the castle and have screamed.

His eyes narrowed all of sudden as he realized that banshees only scream to foretell ones death and since the titan wasn't foretelling their death, there was only one option left.

"The titan is after Zhalia and the others." Dante concluded grimly, a bitter taste entering his mouth as he voiced his thoughts. It only made sense, and the banshee was bound to chase after one of the two groups but of course with the probability of the others being injured, he had hoped that the titan would be after them instead of the others.

"What?" Lok exclaimed in disbelief, his expression displaying the panic and concern for his team members that he was currently feeling. Den held a similar expression but instead, remained silent in comparison to his blonde haired teammate.

Dante merely exhaled a tired breath as he pondered about what they should do next. He of course wanted to instantly find the others and aid them, but the rational part of his mind reminded him that they still had to find the amulet. If they would split into two more teams, it may end up with one of the two disappearing as well and as a duo, they were weaker than as a group of four.

"What now?" Den inquired as he tapped his feet impatiently on the ground, yearning to run back and find a way to get the others but he knew that they would have to make a plan in order to find the titan, save the others and then get out. Else, it all would end in a disaster and a huge mess.

They all pondered silently for some moments until Sara snapped her fingers, her eyes lightening up as she managed to think of something that may work.

"Why don't you call one of your titans and let it look for them? While the titan looks for the others, we look for the amulet." She suggested, and Dante considered her her idea for some moments. He assumed that it could work if he sent Caliban to look for the others and if he would return to it's amulet, they would at least know the location of the others and leave to aid them. Also, if they were fighting the Banshee Caliban would be able to aid them as well, so he assumed that her plan may wok.

"Sounds like a plan." Dante returned with a nod before he reached into his pockets and pulled out his Caliban amulet, holding it high into the air. "Come out, Caliban!"

The blue hue appeared in front of them as soon as he had uttered the words and almost a second later, the Aztec warrior titan materialized itself right in front of the group. Through the power bond that his titan and Dante shared, he gave his instructions to Caliban and watched how the titan gave him a nod in return, indicating that he had understood.

"Maybe one of us should go with Caliban, just in case." Lok spoke, his blue eyes turning to take in the expressions of the others. He knew that Dante was tempted to leave with his titan but also knew that he couldn't do so because he would be needed in order to find the amulet, just like Lok himself. They possessed titans that would aid them in finding the amulet faster and if they liked it or not, they would be unable to look for the others, what only left Den and Sara.

"I'll go."

All heads turned to the only female of the group in surprise and wonder, not having expected her to speak up at all and for a moment, there was silence. She seemed to be serious and the determination that lighted up her eyes only further convinced them of her intention of leaving with Caliban.

"No way." Came Den's stern answer, his brows furrowed and expression hard. She turned to look at him and was about to tell him to cease his insults but upon meeting his brown eyes with her own blue ones, she was surprised to see that there was no sign of teasing or insulting and instead, he was being serious.

Sara frowned in return and stubbornly held his gaze, not intending to back down that easily. "And why not?" She asked, crossing her arms above her chest to refrain from balling her fists.

"You're too inexperienced, and don't know how to defend yourself yet." Den reasoned, equally as stubborn as she was, much to her dismay.

Sara's gaze hardened but she knew that she couldn't say anything at all because he was right. She was still weak and knew very little, let alone was able to fight against a titan but still, she couldn't help but feel somewhat insulted.

"Caliban is with me, and I know how to heal myself." She firmly reminded him, confident that in case of an attack she would at least be productive and may be able to heal herself or the others. "What if Caliban finds them injured and by the time you arrive, it's too late? The three of you are needed to get the amulet, and I am practically useless anyways." Sara reasoned with them, and Dante had to admit that she did have a point.

She may turn out to be useful for the others and yet , even though Zhalia was his mentor she was still part of his team, what made her his responsibility. As Den had also pointed out, she was still inexperienced and even though Caliban would protect her, she could still get hurt.

After a while, Dante pursed his lips into a thin line and gave a relenting sigh at the look she gave her, her blue eyes that were filled with determination reminding him of himself to some degree.

"I trust you." Was all he offered her as a reply, and by the way her eyes lightened up at his words he knew that he would not regret his decision. Despite of what the others were saying, he knew that even though she was inexperienced there was something about her that lead him into thinking that she was stronger than one may expect her to be.

"What?" Den suddenly exclaimed, his head whipping around to shoot Dante an incredulous look, brown eyes filled with surprise and disbelief. "You can't be serious Dante."

Dante however, was more than serious and merely shook his head at the brunette. He knew that it was a gamble and daring to let Sara roam the palace on her own without one of them by her side, but then again his plan never failed as well.

"I am." Dante curtly clarified as he turned to look at Sara with a stern expression. He hoped that he was right with his assumptions and that his gut feeling would not betray him in a serious situation such as this one.

Den merely shook his head at Dante's decision whereas Lok remained uncharacteristically quiet, obviously displeased by the outcome of the situation but also aware that it was their only chance of finding them in time if they really did get attacked.

"Thank you." Sara spoke, genuinely grateful that he was trusting her enough to allow her something like this, regardless of how dangerous it may get. She was doubting her skills until this very moment and yet, hearing Dante the top seeker of the foundation giving her his approval was enough to somewhat make her feel more confident in her skills.

He gave her a curt nod in return before his amber eyes slid over to look at his titan who was still patiently waiting for his new orders, considering the sudden change of plan. Before he was able to give his titans any new instructions though, Lok cut him off.

The blonde had pulled out an amulet of his pockets and swiftly called the familiar little squirrel like titan to join them. Springer instantly materialized itself on Lok's shoulder, eyeing the group curiously and with attentive black orbs.

"Springer, you'll go with Sara and Caliban. If they get attacked or anything else happens, return and tell us." Lok instructed, earning a small nod from the titan as it hopped off of his shoulder and onto Sara's.

The brunette haired female eyed the little titan in both surprise and weariness, not having expected titans to be able to look so harmless and somewhat cute as well. Springer settled itself onto Sara's tense shoulder and the female threw Lok a small, yet weak nod, grateful that he was not trying to keep her from leaving as well.

Sara then looked back to Den and instantly noticed the way he pointedly wouldn't meet her eyes, causing her to inwardly sigh at his mood swings before she turned back to look at Dante.

"All right then, if everything is going to go well I'll see you when the mission is over, I assume?" Sara asked, earning a nod from Dante.

That was all she needed before she gave Springer one last pat on his little furry head and turned to leave into the direction they had originally come from, Caliban following suit.

Dante watched her leave with a heavy heart and only hoped that nothing would happen before he turned to look at the remaining two members of his teams with exhausted amber eyes.

"Come on, let's end this mission and get the others."

 _Meanwhile_

Sophie was the first one to regain conscious and forced herself to open her eyes, the darkness that greeted her causing her to blink a series of times. Emerald eyes pierced through the darkness as she tried to adjust her sight to the darkness that engulfed her surroundings, and the first thing she noticed was the enormous pain in her shoulder. She was currently laying on her side and in a rather uncomfortable position as well, her caramel colored hair sprawled on the cold stone floor while her entire body was aching.

A light groan escaped her lips as she uttered the familiar healing spell but to her dismay and fear, nothing happened. Her eyes fluttered close again as she fought to remain conscious and after some more moments of struggling, she mentally counted down to three before she pushed her weight onto her other side and rolled onto her back, a hiss escaping her pale pink lips at the rush of pain that numbed her senses.

"Sophie?" She suddenly heard someone whisper next to her, and her emerald eyes instantly turned to her right to see Zhalia kneeling next to her, hazel eyes filled with concern as she caught Sophie's eyes.

"Zhalia?" Sophie managed to rasp out, falling into a coughing fit as soon as she had uttered her teammates name. With every cough that passed her lips and shook her body, the pain increased and Sophie had to force herself not to cry out of pain. She didn't know where the pain suddenly came from, but what she did know was that it was there, and she was unable to use her powers to stop it.

"Yes, it's me." Came the bluenette hushed whisper, and Sophie mildly wondered why she was whispering in the first place. It was then that she had realized what had happened that caused her to pass out, and her alarmed emerald eyes flew to look at Zhalia in worry.

"What happened?"Sophie asked as she tried to sit up but as soon as she did so, every muscle in her body protested against the sudden movement that caused Sophie to inhale a sharp breath, tears filling her eyes at the flood of pain.

Zhalia, having seemingly noticed the pain that Sophie was in, instantly acted and slid her slender arms under Sophie's upper body and carefully shifted the injured blonde until her head was laying on Zhalia's lap.

Sophie's entire body was aching and her head was pounding painfully, warning her of the upcoming headache as she felt her head getting placed on Zhalia's thighs. She had never felt so weak and hurt before, not even during their fight against the betrayer what only furthermore caused her to wonder what was going on and how she got injured in the first place.  
"I am just as clueless as you are." Zhalia quietly admitted, her hazel eyes scanning their surroundings.

They were in some sort of room, without any windows or door that indicated that they have gotten transported into it with some sort of spell, perhaps.

She, just like Sophie, was also unable to heal herself and if she didn't know better, Zhalia suspected that the room they were in was draining their energy and blocking their powers.  
If this was the case, they would be in deep trouble and if the others wouldn't find them soon, Zhalia knew that they would not survive it. The air in the rather small room was limited and considering the amount of time they have already been locked in there, she was certain that they would run out of air within the next hour or so.

She herself was still struggling with her own injury and fought to stay conscious as she felt how her energy was slowly leaving her body. Zhalia assumed that after they had passed out, the banshee had somehow managed to lock them away to rot and die, what didn't seem to be too far fetched since Banshees did foretell one's death with their scream. However, she had no explanation regarding Sophie's injuries. She was the first one to wake up and at first, didn't even notice her injuries at all. Zhalia guessed that due to the lack of air and their energy slowly leaving their body the pain of Sophie's injuries worsened what was anything but helpful at this moment.  
She managed to make out that Sophie's right shoulder was most likely twisted and that one of her ribs may be cracked as well, but she wasn't sure about it yet.

Another pained groan escaped Sophie as she tried to shift in her position, but a sudden wave of nausea overcame her.

"Where is Scarlet?" Sophie asked in a pained whisper as she closed her eyes, hoping to prevent the upcoming headache.

"Left corner, wide awake and unharmed." Zhalia told her, careful to keep her voice low so that the other female wouldn't overhear them. She couldn't care less about Scarlet finding out that they were talking about her, but she didn't want to cause any unnecessary drama either and thus, pointedly tried to avoid it.

Zhalia still didn't forget what happened before the Banshees attack and masked her anger and aversion towards the ginger haired female for now, knowing very well that as for now she shouldn't worsen the situation they were in. She wouldn't spend the time in here fighting and instead, had to be the rational thinking one and try to find a way out for the three of them. Regardless of what Scarlet had managed to get herself into, she still was part of the team for this mission and Zhalia would not leave her behind, whether she wanted to or not. She didn't trust her, yes, and even though she was more than disgusted to hear that the organization managed to tempt her and she wanted to get Zhalia out of the way, Zhalia knew that the ginger head was not purely evil and instead, rather desperate and naive.

She would have to live with the consequences if her plan would fail, what most certainly was going to be the case since Zhalia and Sophie now knew about it, and Zhalia didn't want to necessarily waste her nerves and time on someone like her. She knew that Dante wouldn't believe them either, and even though the realization somewhat hurt, she couldn't blame him. Scarlet seemed way too innocent and in his eyes was a loyal Foundation seeker, and to accuse her being a part of the organization and trying to kill her was not something that sounded believable at all, even if it was the truth.

"And where exactly are we?" Sophie inquired, tempted to open her eyes and look for herself but the throbbing of her head prevented her from doing so. She heard how Zhalia exhaled a breath and assumed that the raven-haired female was most likely taking a look around herself, before she finally received an answer.

"Some kind of cell, but without any windows and doors."Zhalia eventually returned, and Sophie instantly tensed upon hearing her reply.

"But doesn't that mean-"

"Yes." Zhalia swiftly cut her off, a bitter taste on her lips as she spoke the next words. "We are going to run out of air soon if the others won't find us."

Sophie bit her lower lip and lifted a shaking and cold hand to place on her eyes, forcing herself to inhale calmly and not to lose her composure. She couldn't freak out in a situation as grave as this one, and she knew that Zhalia was most likely trying the same. The chances of the others finding them in the next hour were really low and without a little push into their direction, they would be doomed.

"What about the walls?" Sophie offered, a hint of hope in her voice. "We could try to break them down, even without magic."

She didn't need to open her eyes to know that Zhalia was shaking her head with rueful eyes, her teammates silence being answer enough already.

"I tried, but they are solid bricks that wont budge no matter what you do. I even tried to use Kilthane but as soon as he touched the bricks, he went back in his amulet." Zhalia grimly informed her, the mixture of frustration and anger that she was currently feeling boiling in her veins. She should have been stronger, and tried to fight the banshee harder and maybe if she did, she would have been able to prevent all of this.

"Thoughtspectre?" Sophie once more tried, but Zhalia once more was forced to shatter her hopes.

"Tried, didn't work." She curtly returned and by now Sophie was feeling more than desperate. There had to be a way to get out, Sophie was certain of it but the problem was not finding a way out, for she was certain that they would manage to find one, but to find a way out before they would run out of air.

It was a race against time and as for now, it seemed like they would lose.

-X-

"Come on, come on." Sara chanted silently to herself, feeling how she was slowly starting to run out of breath as she rounded another corner, the sounds of her footsteps echoing through the silence as she run as fast as she could, Caliban right behind her.

She didn't know what she was looking for, but she was certain that she would know if she managed to find it. She has been running for what felt like an eternity, not allowing herself to slow down even once in fear that if she did, she would not reach them in time.

"Caliban, you can't sense other titans by any chance, can you?" Sara called over her shoulder to the titan that followed her, receiving no answer in return. Not that she had expected one in the first place.

Sara came to a halt in the middle of the corridor she was currently running through and forced her heart to calm down, trying to get her breathing back to normal before she continued to run. It was beyond exhausting and yet, she refused to give up just yet. The others were counting on her, and it was her mentor she was looking for, she couldn't let them down.

It was when she was about to enter the main hall that something on the floor caught her eye, making her freeze in place. The brunette lifted a hand, signalizing Caliban to stop as well before she crouched down to examine it further. On the floor, there were some faint scratching marks that she couldn't recall having seen there before and they were leading right to the left wall, before they disappeared into thin air.

She moved to the wall and examined it further, trying to find anything that may seem suspicious but as soon as she had touched the wall, she felt a sudden pulling sensation.

Sara quickly removed her hand as if she had been burned and eyed the wall with a frown. She was about to try once more, but a sudden movement on her shoulder made her pause in place. Springer had moved from her position on her shoulder and run down the length of her arm, just to stop that back of her hand. Sara eyed the little titan in cofusion and tilted her head lightly aside, her blue eyes shining in confusion.

"What's wrong little one, did you find anything?" Sara curiously asked, and almost as soon as she had uttered those words did springer squeak a series of times before he took the material of her shirt between his tiny claws and lifted it upwards, indicating her to move her hand higher. She did as told, even if hesitant, and looked at the wall with attentive eyes, trying to find anything that could have alarmed springer.

The squirrel like titan then moved the material of her shirt to the right and Sara instantly moved her hand into the direction, just to pause a moment later. Springer was still squeaking excitedly but much to her disappointment and confusion, she couldn't see anything. Sara hrew the little titan a pointed look as if telling it to elaborate before she , even if reluctant, placed her palm against the stone.

She felt the pull again and almost retreated her hand again, the pull on her senses and powers causing her to feel almost nauseous before she pushed against the stone as hard as she could. At first, nothing happened with the excption of her powers getting drained, but she knew better than to give up. Sara stbbornly kept on pushing against the stone and much to her surprise and relief, felt it yield under her hand.

A soft smile spread over her lips as the stone disappeared into thin air and soon, the entire wall did the same. She watched in awe how it faded and for a moment, Sara couldn't help but watch the place where the wall was standing at only a moment before in awe. Her blue eyes were filled with pure astonishment as she realized that it was most likely an illusion that was being guarded by a spell and somehow, Sara felt as if someone had opened her eyes.

There was so much more in the world that she was unaware of and she would be able to witness as a seeker and by now, the thought of becoming part of the world didn't seem as scary anymore.

Her eyes instantly fell onto the staircase that was in front of her and for a moment, Sara hesitated. She took a step closer and tried to peer down, but it descendet into murky darkness , seemingly disappearing altogether.

Trying to muster up all courage she had left and giving herself a small push, she started to descend the staircase and gave Springer who had settled back onto her shoulder a gentle pat on the hand, glancing at Caliban out of the corner of her eye to ensure herself of his presence.

It was getting darker and darker with every step she took but fortunately, she managed to reach the end of the staircase rather fast. She soon found herself in what seemed to be another corridor that was rather short and ended in a dead end, much to Sara's frustration. She walked down the corridor and looked at the wall with keen blue eyes, trying to figure out what she should do next.

It was obvious that since the staircase lead there, there had to be something as well especially since it was being protected by some kind of barrier. But now the question is what there was, for Sara could not find anything except for the wall in there.

The wall seemed to be solid and she assumed that even if it was a barrier as well, she would never be able to get through it. She was way too weak to even do as much as weaken the barrier and without any additional help, doubted that she would get any further than that.

Then again, she also didn't know what would expect her even if she would manage to get through or what was hidden behind there.

If someone would go through as much trouble as locking it away behind two barriers she assumed that whatever it was had to be powerful.

It was then that a sudden idea struck her and she wanted to bang her head against the wall upon not realizing it sooner. It was not something that was locked in there and rather someone.

"Zhalia, Sophie! Can you hear me?"

-X-

Zhalia was growing more and more frustrated by every second that passed by. It has been over half an hour by now and yet, there was no sign of anyone. The air was gradually getting thinner and she knew that it was only a matter of minutes until they would run out of it. The silence that engulfed the three was deafening and right now Zhalia would gladly welcome Lok's jokes or attempts of lighting up the mood.

Zhalia's hazel eyes fell onto the Casterwill heiress that was struggling with the pain that she was in, and Zhalia knew that she was trying her best to cover it up as best as she could. She had always been rather sensitive to magic and now that she was injured, her magic was getting drained and the air grew thinner it was only adding to her pain. Sophie tried to be strong and struggled hard to remain conscious but Zhalia knew that she was in more pain that she pretended to be in. She had always tried to stay strong in front of others and to see Sophie injured and actually trying to conceal her pain as best as she could in order not to worry her was only adding to Zhalia's guilt.

Of course they argued from time to time and were also not getting along too well, but when it mattered the most Zhalia knew that Sophie would be there to watch her back.

"Zhalia." Sophie suddenly called, her voice weak and unsteady. Said female looked down to see that Sophie had opened her eyes by now, emerald orbs that were filled with a mixture of fear and regret fixed on Zhalia.

"Back then what I said at the mansion," Sophie started, and Zhalia instantly knew what she was trying to say.

"I know." Zhalia assured her, not wanting to hear Sophie apologising for something that she had already forgotten. It seemed as if she truly regretted her words and Zhalia didn't hold a grudge against her for saying it either. It was the truth after all, even if it was rather harshly worded, and she didn't need to feel guilty for saying something like this at all.

"I am grateful that you stayed with us after Dante left." Sophie said after a while, her voice laced with honesty that Zhalia didn't expect. She eyed Sophie in wonder, not having expected her to be grateful for something like this and for a moment, Zhalia felt her heart clench. Sophie was talking like they wouldn't get out of there alive and to see the Casterwill heiress lose hope in the others was something that Zhalia didn't think was possible

"Sophie-" Zhalia started, intending to stop her but Sophie continued regardless, cutting her off the instant she had uttered her name.

"No Zhalia, it's the truth. I am grateful for a lot of things you have done actually." Sophie informed her, a small smile forming itself on her lips as she thought back to all the missions the team went on. "I know that we are not as close as the others, and I know that I also am at fault for that, but if we wont manage to get out of here I would like you to know that I have always considered you my friend, and somewhat a bigger sister and role model as well."

Zhalia looked for Sophie for another moment before she gritted her teeth and forced herself to avoid her gaze. She was taken off guard by Sophie's words, but knew that she would have to find a way out and fast, if only for Sophies sake.

She didn't deserve to die a pathetic death such as this one, and had a family and friends to return to whereas Zhalia had no one. She was sure that Lok and the others would be worried as well, but her death would not have a great affect on the world as Sophie's would have.

She was too innocent and young, had a promising future to return to whereas Zhalia was getting chased by the organization once more.

Her life held very little worth in comparison to that of the Casterwill heiress and she was determined to get Sophie out of there, even if she would lose her own life in the process. It was her duty as a teammate and friend, and she would hold onto that duty until her very last breath.

"I'll get you out of here Sophie." Zhalia promised and looked down onto the girl that laid on her head, just to see that she had lost consciousness already.

Now, every second mattered.

Zhalia gently removed the jacket she was wearing and placed it onto the ground next to her before she moved to lay Sophies head on it.

The bluenette then stood up from where she was seated and fought the wave of dizziness that suddenly overcame her before she moved to turn to Scarlet, that was seated in a corner with her head resting on her knees.

"I suggest that if you want to get out alive and want to see Dante again, you should try to find a way out." Zhalia coldly spoke, causing Scarlet to look up at her. Her pale green eyes were holding no kind of emotion and her face was even more pale than usual due to the lack of air.

"It's no use." Came her reply, a sigh following right after. "We will have to wait for Dante." She told her, and Zhalia didn't even bother to snap at her. It would be no use to try to rip her out of her little fantasy and assuming that Scarlet was not going to be a big help either, Zhalia merely shook her head to herself before she turned to take a look at the walls.

The walls that surrounded them were obviously draining their magic, and summoning titans would not do any good either. They were unable to use spells either and due to the lack of air, it was hard to think straight.

Zhalia closed in on one of the walls, intending to examine it further when a sudden sound reached her ears that made her pause in place.

"Can you hear me?" Came the muffled voice from behind the wall, and Zhalia instantly recognized the voice. Her eyes widened for the split of a second before she moved to stand right in front of the wall, hoping that she was not only imagining things.

"Sara?" Zhalia cautiously called, inwardly hoping that it was really her that had found them. She was surprised that it was her and the others were seemingly not with her, but as for the moment their first priority was to get out of there.

"Zhalia! Thank goodness I finally found you!" Came the faint reply, and Zhalia couldn't help but smile out of relief.

Seemed like she had made the right decision by keeping her with them.

"Sara, Sophie is injured and we are running out of air, did you find the amulet yet?" Zhalia asked, trying to keep as small and even breaths as possible. The air was almost non-existent to the point where even Zhalia fought to stay conscious, but now that Sara had found them she dared to raise her hopes of getting our.

"Not yet, Dante and the others are looking for it." She heard Sara speak, and nodded to herself. So she really was on her own, what was both a good and a bad thing.

"Caliban is here with me though. I am going to send him back to Dante and tell him that we found you guys." Sara spoke as if she had read Zhalia's mind, and the bluenette bit her lower lip in thought.

Caliban would be of very little use right now and sending him back to Dante would make more sense but then again, if Sara didnt manage to get them out in time she would be without any protection.

"Alright." Zhalia eventually returned before she exhaled deeply, trying to get her vision to focus once more. Silence followed her words and Zhalia heard a light mumble from behind the wall before a series of footsteps followed, and Zhalia assumed that she had send Caliban away.

"Zhalia, I have an idea as to how to get you guys out, but I need your help." Came Sara's muffled voice, and Zhalia forced herself to stand upright. It was getting harder for her to breathe and the pain in her leg was still evident, but she was determined to get them out.

"I'm listening." Zhalia managed to croak out and inwardly hoped that whatever Sara was planning would work.

"The wall is some kind of barrier. If we manage to find its weakest point, we may get it to break. All we have to do is to press your hand against it as soon as we found it and push." She heard Sara explain, and Zhalia eyed the wall in front of her wearily. It would make sense, and it would also explain how it could drain their energy and was immune to their powers. She had to admit that she was quite impressed that Sara managed to realize that it was a barrier and tried to find a way to break it.

However, Zhalia knew that it was daring and that in her state, it would be more than hard to even weaken it.

She swiftly turned around to Scarlet. "Get Sophie." Was her only command and fortunately, the ginger head seemed to realise that it was her only way out and thus, she did as told and walked over to the unconscious Casterwill heiress to pick her up.

Scarlet wrapped an arm around Sophie's waist to steady her and walked over to stand next to Zhalia, whos eyes were roaming the wall attentively. She extended her hand and traced a finger along the stones, the pull that she felt on her energy only further weakening her.

She trailed her finger along the wall for another couple of moments before she found what she was looking for, and inwardly heaved a sigh of relief.

"I'm ready." Zhalia called, and she heard a sound of agreement coming from the other side of the wall. The bluenette then turned to look at Sophie and noticed that she was even more pale than she was before, much to her concern, before she turned to look at Scarlet with hard eyes.

"As soon as the barrier is weakened, I want you and Sophie to instantly pass through it." Zhalia told her and earned a reluctant nod from Scarlet.

Satisfied that she would do as told, Zhalia then turned back to face the wall with a heavy heart. Chances that she would manage to get out with the others were slim, if not even nonexistent and yet, it would be worth it if it meant that the rest of them would be safe.

Without any further hesitation, she then placed her palm on the weakest point of the barrier and instantly felt the enormous pull on her powers, that caused a blinding pain to shoot through her body. Zhalia tried her best to push against the wall as hard as she could and clenched her teeth at the buning pain that run through her veins.

She felt her entire body protesting and was tempted to remove her hand but she knew that if she did, they all would be doomed. Zhalia placed her other hand against the wall as well and kept her eyes open for as long as she could, hoping that it would work and they would at least manage to weaken the barrier.

Fortunately, Saras plan seemed to have worked for the wall slowly flickered and Zhalia hazel eyes managed to see the brunette on the opposite side mirroring her action.

"Go!" Zhalia ground out between gritted teeth and Scarlet instantly moved, passing the barrier and making it safely to the other side.

"Come on Zhalia what are you waiting for?" Sara called concerned as she tried to weaken the barrier further, but her eyes widened the instant she saw the look Zhalia was giving her.

She instantly noticed the way Zhalia was only barely conscious and her skin had turned into a sickening color of white, causing Sara to feel a rush of panic run through her. She was barely standing and she knew that if she wouldn't act, Zhalia wouldn't make it through and collapse before she would be able to take as much as a step.

She was starting to lose her hold on the barrier and knew that she only had a few seconds left that would allow her to trespass and thus, did the first thing that came to her mind.

Within a heartbeat, Sara removed one of her hands and grabbed Zhalia's hand with the other, encircling it around her wrist before she swiftly pulled her forwards. She felt how the barrier slid back into place and Zhalias body collided with her own one. She instantly wrapped her arms around her mentors waist to steady her and heaved a sigh of relief as she slid onto the ground.

Zhalia allowed herself to let out a groan as she felt the pull on her powers suddenly disappear and fell onto her knees next to Sara, her breathing pattern uneven.

She was feeling exhausted, was in pain and felt as if she had been run over by Metagolem an infinite amount of times and yet, she was alive.

Zhalia turned to look at the exhausted brunette in front of her with grateful hazel eyes before she calmed her breathing and shook her head.

"Nice job kiddo." Zhalia praised in a throaty whisper, and Sara in return gave her a snort and blew a strand of her brown hair out of her face.

"So much about this being an easy mission." Sara returned with a small smile before she stood up and offered Zhalia a hand, which she gladly accepted. Sara pulled Zhalia back on her feet and the first thing she did was to inhale a deep gasp of air.

"Everfight."

She had uttered the spell like a sweet blessing and heaved a sigh of relief as she felt the spell once more numbing most of her pain, resulting her to be able to at least walk properly again.

She then walked over to Scarlet and took Sophie's limp body from her before she gently placed it onto the ground of the corridor and kneeled down next to it, Sara watching her move in mild curiosity.

She placed her hands over Sophie's stomach and closed her eyes. "Everheal." She whispered under her breath and almost an instant later, she felt the familiar green hue engulf her palms and fill Sophie's body.

"Wow." She heard Sara breathe next to her as she watched Zhalia in awe as she healed Sophie as best as she could in her condition. Zhalia had healed only the lethal damages her body had received because if she were to completely heal her, she would be unable to stay conscious herself due to the lack of energy.

After some more minutes she removed her hands and took a glance at Sophies peaceful expression, the Casterwill girl having yet to wake from her unconscious state. Zhalia then grabbed Sophie's arm and gently wrapped it around her shoulders, Sara swiftly moving to aid her in carrying Sophie as she mirrored Zhalia's actions and wrapped her own arm around Sophie's waist.

Zhalia then took a look at Scarlet who eyed them seemingly unconcerned before she turned to look at Sara, Hazel eyes filled with determination. If the others were looking for the amulet, she was certain that the titan was after them and in order to prevent the same thing happening to them, they would have to hurry.

"Let's go and help the others out."

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A/N: I hoped that you liked it! Also, thanks to everyone who reviewed the past chapter, I hope that you will review this one as well. See you next time!:)


	17. A Mission's end

**A/N:** Hey guys! I am sorry that it took lightly longer to update. Anyways, this chapter is lightly shorter than the others but the next chapter will follow soon:) If you like this chapter, pelase **review**!

Also, thanks to my guest reviewers Carter Casterwill, Amelia and Mayamdxz for reviewing! I am glad that you liked it:)

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CHAPTER 17

The remaining members of the Huntik team continued to walk through the corridors of the castle until they reached another hall, much to Lok and Den's delight. They were more than relieved to finally get a change of scenery but Dante instantly told them to be on high alert in case the titan decided to attack. The hall seemed just like the entrance hall they were formerly in and even though the ceiling didn't collapse as soon as they took a step inside, Dante absently noted that something was off nonetheless.

The three males each went to examine a part of the hall in hope of finding something that may help them to find the amulet and just when Dante was about to go through some papers that laid on a wooden desk in the far corner of the hall, footsteps reached his ears. In comparison to the other two members of his team who were eyeing the entrance in alarm and instantly went into their fighting positions, Dante remained calm and watched how Caliban entered the hall and headed straight for his master.

Dante didn't even need to ask what had happened that caused him to return for Caliban instantly told him what he needed to know through their bond. The auburn haired seeker froze as the titan informed him about Zhalia, Sophie and Scarlet being locked away and that if they wouldn't hurry, they would run out of air.

According to Caliban, it's been Zhalia that Sara had talked to and she had told them that Sophie was injured, much to his concern, and that she wasn't much better as well. He knew that Zhalia always liked to pretend that she was fine even though she was far from it just in order not to worry the others and as for now, he didn't know whether he should be relieved to hear that she was still conscious or worry because she was still trying to stay strong and bite her way through.

"What did he say? Did Sara find them?" Lok questioned in a rush, both anxious and hopeful at once. Dante turned to look at Den and Lok who were both eyeing him expectantly with a frown, unsure about whether he should tell them or not.

In the end, he decided that they deserved to know and thus, heaved a sigh before he spoke up. "She did. Sophie is injured, but I don't know about the others. What's for sure though is that they are in trouble and need back-up, _immediately_." Dante told them, and watched with a heavy heart how Lok's blue eyes instantly lightened up in fear upon hearing the news about Sophie.

"What are we waiting for then?" He exclaimed with wide eyes and clenched fists, determined to find his girlfriend and teammates before it would get any worse.

Dante gave him a curt nod but just as they were about to turn around to follow Caliban, an ear piercing scream made them halt in place.

Dante and the others instantly covered their ears with the heels of their hands at the sudden sound and upon cracking an eye open, amber eyes instantly fell onto the blurred image of a woman. Her long pitch black hair was cascading down her back and reached past her spine and she was dressed in a pale white nightgown that matched the tone of her skin. Her face was shielded by her hair and Dante had the eerie suspicion that he would not want to see her expression at all, if he wanted to make it out alive.

Her scream made it impossible for him to move and caused the amber-eyed seeker to fall on his knees while he pressed his hands as tight against the shell of his ears as possible in order to block the sound. It was of very little help though, and the auburn haired male found himself suffering under the pain of his already throbbing head. Lok and Den didn't seem to be off any better and tried their best to stay conscious, but her scream was plain torture to their ears.

Dante gathered up the last bit of energy in his body before he forced the adrenaline to gather into his feet and his eyes narrowed.

"Hyperstride!" He shouted as he jumped towards the banshee, preparing to fire a spell at her but unfortunately, she was faster. She moved faster than his eye could see and in the next moment, Dante found himself getting hurled backwards and right against the stone wall of the hall. A grunt left his lips as his back collided against the mural and he fell towards the ground, the banshees screaming leaving him deaf to the world. He had to remain concentrated and focused in order to summon spells and else, they would never get out.

"Featherdrop!" Dante shouted, but his voice did not reach his ears. He felt the familiar aura of the spell engulf him and noticed the way he was falling at a slow speed before his feet softly touched the ground. It was more than painful and felt like someone was continuously piercing him through the eardrum with hundreds of needles and even though his entire body was protesting, he fought to remain standing.

The banshees scream then stopped and without hesitating Lok instantly charged towards her, his hand glowing an amber hue.

"Dragonfist!" Lok yelled at the top of his lungs while Den swiftly summoned his power bonded titan Vigilante.

Lok's fist was just inches away from the banshees face and yet, just as he was about to hit her he suddenly froze in place and his eyes widened. Just like Dante, the banshee moved at the speed of an lightening and grabbed Lok by the throat, her long and slender fingers wrapped tightly around his slim neck.

The spell that formerly engulfed Lok's fist faded into thin air and Lok swiftly moved to grip the Banshee's wrist, trying to loosen her hold on his throat. It was getting harder for him to breathe but no matter how hard he tried, her hold would not lessen.

"Lok!" Den exclaimed in a yell and charged towards the Banshee but before Dante was able to warn him, the Banshee's head whipped over into Den's direction and let out a blood curling scream.

This time, it was impossible for Dante to fight it and he was once more forced onto his knees, the scream being louder and more intense then her previous one. It seems like they have angered her and judging by Lok's pained expression, he had it hardest of them.

Lok struggled under her grasp, tears of pain blurring his vision as he felt how his last breath left his nose and he was now struggling to remain conscious.

Blackness was starting to crawl up the edge of his vision and dared to take over and suddenly, Lok saw his entire live flash in front of his eyes. It was weird, to say at last. It started off with childhood memories, of the days he spend with his family back in Ireland until Sophie entered his mind and the day they discovered his fathers amulet and diary followed. Everything else then passed in front of his eyes in a rush. The formation of the original Huntik team consisting of himself, Sophie, Zhalia and Dante, their fight against the professor, Den joining them and lastly their fight against the betrayer. In his seventeen years of living a lot of things that he would never have dreamed of doing happened, and the experience of him joining the world of seekers and titans was something he would trade for nothing in the world.

Dante watched with concerned amber eyes how Lok struggled for air and knew that it was only a matter of time until he would lose consciousness, or worse. He tried with all his might to move, to use a spell but no matter what he did it simply didn't work.

It was when the scream of the banshee suddenly ceased and disappeared that his amber eyes snapped open just in time to see the banshee getting thrown against the wall by none other than Zhalia. He felt a huge wave of relief flood his senses upon seeing the bluenette standing in front of Lok while Scarlet hurried to Lok's side in order to heal him. Sara remained at the entrance of the hall, guarding a seemingly unconscious Sophie and Dante instantly used the opportunity to jump back on his feet.

To say that Zhalia was beyond pissed would be the understatement of the year.

As soon as she had seen Lok in the Banshee's grip, she instantly moved and didn't hesitate to charge towards the titan and hit it with Venomhand. Her expression held a visible frown as she watched the Banshee hit the wall and she glanced at Lok out of the corner of her eye in order to ensure that he was still breathing. Fortunately, Scarlet moved to get to the blonde's side and pulled his barely conscious body towards where Sara and Sophie were, healing him as soon as she had arrived.

Zhalia stood in the middle of the hall and clicked her tongue, her mood getting worse with every moment that passed by. By now, Sophie and Lok were seriously injured while she herself wasn't better and with Sara and Scarlet busy healing Lok, it was up to herself, Dante and Den to fight the titan and find the amulet.

She could already feel the upcoming headache.

Zhalia swiftly called a Boltflare as she saw the Banshee rising back on her feet again and growled lowly in her throat.

"Oh no you don't!" Zhalia called as she fired the Boltlfare towards the Banshee, hitting her right across the chest and causing her to let out a yell. She would have to buy the others some time to find the amulet, and she still had a bone to pick with the titan for injuring them as well.

"Zhalia!" Came Den's alarmed shout, but Zhalia swiftly dismissed it as she fired another Raypulse at the Banshee, causing it to collapse onto the floor.

"You guys try to find the amulet, I'll buy you some time!" Zhalia called over her shoulder as she fired an Augerfrost at the banshee who let out a screech of protest at the spell hit her. Zhalia paid its distress very little mind though and instead, focused on stalling the banshee.

She saw Dante out of the corner of her hazel eyes and instantly noticed the way he hesitated. She swiftly turned to look at him and shot him a small smile, mutely reassuring that she would be fine before she shot another spell at the banshee.

Dante knew that her smile served for the sole purpose of reassuring him that she was alright, but he knew her better. She was putting her weight onto her left food only while the other one was lightly lagging behind. Zhalia was injured, just as he had suspected and she probably used Everfight to numb it until the fight was over. She looked beyond exhausted as well and had to admit that he was quite surprised that she could still use spells, especially in her condition. He was worried and wanted nothing more than to take her and the rest of his team as far away from this place as possible, but he knew that this would be their only chance to find the amulet and end all of this for good.

Dante balled his fists before he turned to Den and gave him a curt nod, noticing that the brunette boy seemed to have a similar worried expression on his face upon seeing Zhalia and the rest of the team injured.

Together, the duo turned to run into the opposite direction of the hall and tried to find anything that may serve as a clue to find the amulet. Dante once more went through the deserted desk in the far corner but found nothing, while Den went through an old dusty chest and had equally as much as Lok as Dante did.

"Damn, where could it be?" Den exclaimed frustrated and Dante's expression held a grim frown by now. He knew that Zhalia would not be able to fight the titan on her own and that if they wouldn't find the amulet soon, the banshee would recover and strike for one last time.

It was when something out of the corner of his eye caught his attention that his eyes narrowed and Dante turned to fully look at it. There was a huge crest on the wall with an insignia imprinted on it just like the one in the entrance hall, and Dante's eyes widened out of realization. He didn't waste another second and used Hyperstride to jump into the air. He reached out for the metallic crest and inwardly prayed that his gut feeling would not fail him as his fingers touched the metal.

Indeed, Dante felt a sudden surge of energy overcome him and dared to breathe a sigh of relief upon finding the titan. It was a strong one, he absently noted, and it was harder to bond with it than he had expected but in the end, he managed to do so nonetheless. As soon as the magic surge disappeared and he removed his hand, he opened his hand just to find an amulet in the palm of his hand. It was simple yet beautiful, a silver chain from which a silver pendant was hanging on, a lilac stone neatly placed in the middle of it.

Dante swiftly allowed himself to softly hit the ground again and lifted the amulet high into the air, absently noticing the shout of glee that escaped Den upon seeing that Dante managed to find the amulet.

"Return back to your amulet, Banshee!" Dante sternly commanded and watched how the Banshee struggled to remain outside but in the end, was forced back into it's amulet with one last scream. Silence then engulfed the team and Den let out a sigh of relief as he allowed himself to slump onto the ground out of exhaustion. Through their bond, he ordered his titan to return back to its amulet and run a hand over his exhausted face.

"What the hell was that?" He inquired with a groan, and Dante merely shook his head, not having the answer to his question either. Dante then caught Zhalia's exhausted gaze with his concerned one and was tempted to walk over and simply wrap his arms around her, but he knew better than to do so.

Dante gave her a small smile, which she returned before she could stop herself and walked over to where Sara and the rest were located at and were in the midst of healing Lok.

Zhalia and Den followed suit until the Huntik team was gathered at the Halls entrance in silence, no one saying a word. It was an exhausting day and no one needed to voice their thoughts to know what the other was thinking. Scarlet was still healing Lok whereas Sara was struggling to keep Sophie upright, not wanting to wake her.

"You managed to find them after all." Came Den's rather impressed mumble, and Sara merely gave him a tired , yet teasing glance out of the corner of her eye.

"I told you that I would, didn't I?" She returned with a sigh and noticed the way he was tempted to counter her reply with a comment of his own that would most likely anger her, but Scarlet swiftly cut them off.

"It's good to see that you are alright." Scarlet spoke with soft eyes, gaze fixed on Dante who in return gave her a small nod. Den merely shook his head at the ginger-head flatly ignoring him.

"We should get going so that Lok and Sophie can recover." Den suggested as he moved to help Sara with Sophie, who gave him a grateful look that he pointedly ignored.

Scarlet paused her healing and Dante moved to pick Lok up, Scarlet supporting him by wrapping the blonde's arm around her shoulder and her own arm around his waist, mirroring Dante's position.

"But it's going to take hours until we get back." Den commented with a frown and this time, it was Zhalia who took a step forwards. The spell that she used to numb her leg had faded already and she forced herself not to wince at the enormous pain that shot through her leg as she took the step, her expression blank.

Dante knew that expression of hers and knew what was most likely going through her head right now, but he would not allow it especially in her condition.  
"Zhaal-" he started, but Zhalia swiftly grabbed onto both Den and Dante's shoulder before she closed her eyes shut and concentrated on the spell she was about to use.

"Thoughtspecter!" Zhalia yelled and almost a heartbeat later, everything around them went dark. The familiar rush of power engulfed the rather surprised team and just as fast as it had appeared did it disappear again. As soon as the darkness that surrounded them cleared, they found themselves in the middle of the Lambert mansions living-room, a rather surprised Sandra looking at them with surprise filled eyes.

She dropped the plate she was drying, causing it to shatter on the ground before she lifted a hand to cover her mouth out of shock at the sight of the devastated and clearly exhausted Huntik team that greeted them.

"Oh my, what happened to you?" Sandra inquired in concern as she rushed to their side and laid a hand on Lok's forearm, her blue eyes shining with worry.

Zhalia felt her entire world spinning and closed her eyes as she tried to clear her vision and to focus on staying conscious, what was easier said than done. Dante eyed Zhalia with a concerned frown before he turned to look at Lok's mother with a serious gaze.

"There were some complications, but they should be fine after some rest." Dante swiftly assured her, the last thing he wanted to deal with being a worried and overly concerned mother. He then shifted Lok so that he was fully leaning against him and made his was upstairs, Den and Sara following behind with Sophie while Scarlet, Zhalia and Sandra remained in the living-room. Zhalia allowed herself to use the opportunity and slumped onto the couch and leaned her head against the back of the sofa. Exhaustion dared to take over her body but she refused to lose consciousness until she was sure that everyone was properly treated and went to sleep.

"What happened?" Sandra worriedly asked and turned to look at both Zhalia and Scarlet in confusion. "I thought that it was supposed to be an easy mission."

"It was, but there were some complications." Scarlet swiftly returned, and Zhalia fought the urge to elaborate and tell Sandra just what kind of complications there were that involved the ginger haired female.

"Oh." Sandra replied with a sad nod, understanding that on some missions unexpected things happened that they were not prepared for. It happened to the most experienced and strongest seekers, and there was nothing they could do about it.

A moment later the sound of footsteps was heard before Dante, Den and Sara appeared at the top of the stairs and made their way towards them again, Lok and Sophie nowhere to be seen.

"They are back in their rooms." Den informed the trio as he stopped in the middle of the staircase, leaning with his hip against the railing while he crossed his arms above his chest. Zhalia didn't bother to crack open an eye and could already feel the amber eyed seeker behind her, the sudden feeling of his hands on her shoulders causing her to tense under his touch before she relaxed, too tired to do anything else.

From where Sara was standing at the bottom of the stairs, she noticed the way Scarlet's eyes narrowed upon seeing Dante's gesture and she couldn't help but wonder why she was still trying to win Dante over. It was more than obvious that he had a thing for her mentor and that something was between them, but Scarlet seemingly refused to accept it.

"You should go to sleep as well, it's been a long day. Scarlet, you can stay here as well of course. I'll prepare a room for you dear." Sandra told them with a warm smile before she disappeared up the stairs and out of sight.

A yawn escaped Den's lips and he tiredly rubbed his eyes. "I think I am going to go to sleep as well. See ya tomorrow." Den told them and gave him a small salute before he jogged up the stairs and made his way towards the room he and Lok shared with Dante.

"I think I'm going to leave as well." Sara informed them and was about to turn around and leave, but Zhalia's voice stopped her just as she was about to take a step up the stairs.

"I'll come with you." Zhalia told her with a sigh as she opened her eyes and moved to stand up from her position on the couch. She completely forgot about her leg for a moment and bit on her tongue to refrain from cursing out loud as she walked over to Sara, every step she was taking causing her leg to feel like it was being swallowed by fire.

Together, the two females left for their room without sparing the remaining two another look and as soon as they were out of sight, Dante shook his head. Zhalia was way too stubborn for her own good, and he knew that she only left with Sara in order to avoid something like yesterday happening again to both his amusement and concern.

"I'll leave as well. Goodnight Scarlet." Dante spoke and moved to follow the two, but Scarlet's hand shot out just in time to grab his wrist, causing him to pause and shoot her a look of confusion.

"Would you like to lend me some company until Miss Lambert returns?" Scarlet offered, a bright smile on her lips but Dante merely sighed in return.

"I'm sorry Scarlet, but I am quite tired. Maybe tomorrow." He suggested and watched how Scarlet's smile instantly dropped. He of course was not oblivious to the female's rather obvious crush on him and even though he had to admit that it was entertaining to watch, he didn't want to give her any hope regarding him returning her feelings.

"Oh, sure." Scarlet replied as she let go of his wrist, giving him one last smile. Dante merely gave her one last nod before he moved to walk up the stairs and towards the room he shared with Den and Lok. He walked into the room just to find Lok and Den sound asleep and couldn't help but eye them with soft, amber orbs. They were still quite young and had a promising future that expected them and as their team-leader, he would ensure that something like today wouldn't happen again. Not if he could prevent it.

Dante then changed into a plain white shirt and some sweatpants before he tiredly slumped down onto the futon on the ground and closed his amber eyes, waiting until sleep took over his exhausted body.

Soon, the entire Lambert household was sound asleep and completely unaware of the danger that lingered outside.


	18. Operation: Zhante

**A/N:** I'm back with another chapter and a huge headache! Yesterday was my graduation ceremony and I don't know whether I should be happy or sad but anyways, I managed to write this chapter within three hours what's like a new record for me. I hope that you'll like it and if you do, please **review!**

As always, thanks to everyone who reviewed the past chapter, I appreciate your support:) Anyways, enjoy!

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CHAPTER 18

 _Operation: Zhante_

It was in the middle of the night when Sophie regained consciousnesses. The strawberry-blonde haired female lifted her heavy eyelids to reveal piercingly emerald eyes and blinked a series of times to adjust her vision to the darkness that filled the room. Her entire body was aching all over and her muscles were sore, protesting as she tried to sit up.

A hiss escaped her lips as she forced herself upright so that she was leaning against the edge of the bed with her back, her head pounding painfully.

The first thing she noticed was that she was alive, much to her own surprise. She actually didn't believe that they would manage to find a way out, alive that is. Then, except for the torturous headache she was completely healed and on top of that, they were back at the Lambert's household as well.

With a frown on her face, Sophie wondered for how long she must have been out and what happened after she fell unconscious, especially since it seemed like the mission was a success. But first thing first, she had to get rid of the painful headache that left her unable to think straight.

"Everfight." Sophie mumbles softly and as soon as she did, the familiar amber hue engulfed her body. She instantly felt the headache grow less intense until it disappeared, all that remained being the soft pounding in the far back.

She heaved a sigh of relief and run a hand through her messy hair and just as she was about to la back down, a voice pierced the silence of the room.

"Sophie, are you awake?" Came a hushed whisper, causing her head to whirl to her right just to see Sara's blue eyes fixed on her. She seemed to be wide away and for a moment, Sophie wondered how she didn't notice that she was awake the entire time sooner.

Sophie gave her a small nod before she moved from her position to sit next to Sara, tightening the blanket around her. Another thing suddenly caught her attention as she looked down at herself and noticed that she was dressed in one of her mint colored nightgowns, what lead her to believe that they must have changed her without her noticing at all.

"Sara, what happened?" Sophie whispered back, confusion lightening up her green eyes. She then looked at Sara who's eyes visibly softened before the brunette turned to glance at Zhalia out of the corner of her eyes, ensuring herself that she was still asleep.

Zhalia was a spy, and spies always were on alert even when they were asleep. The mere fact that she was still asleep and didn't wake upon hearing their moving and whispering only showed that she was beyond exhausted and really did need her rest.

Thus, Sara pushed the blankets off of herself before she stood up from where she was seated, much to Sophie's confusion.

She nodded her head into the direction of the door as she tugged the hem of the plain black shirt that reached her knees and covered her pair of shorts, hoping that Sophie would get the hint. She seemingly did, for Sara received a swift nod in return before the Casterwill princess stood up as well and tiptoed past Zhalia and out of the door.

Sara run a hand through her long brown hair and already knew that it was going to be a long night, but it wasn't like she could sleep anyways. There were just too many things on her mind that left her unable to rest, but she merely shook her head at her own thoughts as she as well made her way outside the room and closed the door softly after herself so that Zhalia wouldn't notice.

The two girls then silently made their way past the guys room and the rest of the corridor before they swiftly went down the stairs until they reached the living room.

Sophie instantly moved to sit on the love-seat whereas Sara slumped down on the armchair and pulled her feet up so that she was seating cross legged.

Certain that no one would hear them from the living room, Sara then turned to look at Sophie with a small smile.

"First of, it's good to see that you're feeling better. I'm telling you the others -including myself- have been worried sick." Sara told her and instantly felt relieved upon earning a smile from Sophie in return. The two of them have been unable to get to know each other well yet due to everything that happened, but Sara was sure that Sophie was not as much as a princess she sometimes seemed to be. Even if she really was a princess, status wise.

"Thank you." Sophie returned with a soft smile. "I didn't mean to worry you all. But what happened? The last thing I remember is passing out in this strange room." She admitted with a light frown of confusion, looking at Sara in hope that she would have the answers to her questions.

Sara heaved a sigh in return and remained silent for a moment as she tried to find the easiest way to describe what happened to Sophie.

"Well after Lok, Den, Dante and I got cut off from the three of you we went through the door to look for the titan so that we could find you faster." Sara started, brows furrowed as she thought back to the past days events. "It felt as if we were walking through a maze and just when it got to the most frustrating part, I heard something from the far back that sounded like a scream."

"The banshee." Sophie remembered, a shiver running down the length of her spine as she remembered the ear-piercing scream she had emitted at their encounter.

Sara gave her a curt nod, in return, confirming Sophie's suspicion before she continued. "Yeah, so then I left with Caliban and Springer to look for you guys and after a lot of nerve-wrecking minutes I managed to find you locked away behind two magic-proof barriers." She summed up, her blue eyes instantly noticing the way Sophie's eyes filled with surprise.

"You managed to convince Dante to let you go with Caliban and Springer only _and_ managed to break through two barriers on your own?" She exclaimed in a surprised whisper, voice laced with bewilderment.

Sara swiftly shook her head in return. "Not quite." She swiftly admitted. "I managed to convince Dante, yes, but I guess I was lucky because we had no other choice. They had to find the titan and since I wasn't going to be much of a help against the titan, I thought that it would be more logic to look for you in case you were injured, especially after Zhalia pushed you out of the way." Sara clarified. "And regarding the barriers, I managed to find the first one with Springers help and fortunately, it was a weak one. I only managed to break the second one with Zhalia's help."

Sophie attentively listened to Sara's words and even though the brunette female tried to downplay her accomplishments, it was still quite impressive to hear that she managed to gain Dante's trust regarding finding them and on top of that, managed to actually find them. Judging by what Sara said, she was the one who found them just in time and even though she needed Zhalia's help for the second barrier, the mere fact that she was willing to risk her life to find them and had enough courage to roam the castle on her own was admirable.

Sophie was glad that Zhalia decided to take her in and teach her how to become a seeker because she as well thought that Sara would become a great seeker. She was no natural talent regarding spells and fighting, but it was exactly that what made Sara the more admirable. Despite of being practically powerless, she put others well being over her own one just like Zhalia always did.

"Don't try to downplay it Sara, if it weren't for you we would be dead by now." Sophie sternly told her and just then did she remember something. If Zhalia helped her break the barrier even though she was already weakened from the lack of air, the banshee and her injured leg, she should be unable to even do as much as crack open an eye. She knew of Zhalia's tendency to keep things for herself and if the others didn't know about her injuries, she would torture herself with them since they were not what you would call minor ones.

"Wait, how is Zhalia?" Sophie inquired in concern, trying to keep her voice low so that the others wouldn't wake. They were one floor below them, but that didn't mean that they would be unable to overhear them talk at all.

"Not good." Sara admitted with a sigh as she remembered her mentors condition. "She didn't tell us anything, but I saw the way she struggled to move onto the bed and as she changed saw a very bruised leg."

Sophie winced and fought the urge to simply go upstairs and heal her despite of her stubborn refusal. Zhalia would kill herself if she would go on like this, and if Dante were to notice or to know that she is far worse injured than he knew he would probably not allow her to move out of bed for the next few months and that would only cause more arguing between the two of them.

"Also, Scarlet didn't mention anything either and she didn't tell us what happened to get the three of you locked away as well before she went to sleep." Sara added as an afterthought, and Sophie instantly narrowed her eyes. She balled her fists as she remembered Scarlets words and couldn't help but feel disgusted that she was seemingly still acting all innocent.

"She's still here?" Sophie muttered under her breath, voice laced with cold anger. Sara's confused blue eyes found Sophie's angered emerald ones before she gave her a firm nod, mildly wondering why Sophie seemed angered all of sudden. Of course she knew that Sophie didn't particularly like Scarlet, but her sudden anger seemed anything but out of jealousy regarding Lok.

"Did anything happen?" Sara cautiously mumbled back, glancing at the stairs out of the corner of her eyes to ensure that no one was eavesdropping on them.

Sophie huffed in return, a cold smile on her lips as she balled her fists to contain her anger.

"You know that Scarlet has this insane crush on Dante for over two years now, right?" Sophie started and Sara gave her a nod in return, one brow lifted. She knew of Scarlet's crush on Dante but she didn't know that she was crushing on him for over two years now. Who would crush on a person that obviously wasn't interested in you but someone else instead for over two years?

"She tried to get between Zhalia and Dante whenever she got the chance and even though Zhalia and Dante aren't what I would call officially together, it isn't because they don't love each other. It's quite complicated and hard to explain, but after what happened it's somewhat understandable as well that they aren't together yet even though they know of each others feelings." Sophie silently explained, sighing as she shook her head at her mentors dilemma. It was obvious that they loved each other and that they knew and yet, they didn't make an official move yet because they wanted to be sure that they would get together once it was safe for them to do so. They have always been reserved and cautious and after Dante's death, his return and him joining the council it was understandable that it would take time to get things back to normal. With Zhalia's almost betrayal, the fight against the professor and her infiltrating the Blood Spiral they have never received the opportunity to get into a relationship and even though Dante returned, Scarlet would prove to be their next obstacle.

"I noticed." Sara admitted. It was the truth, she really did notice that whenever they looked at each other there was something in that sparked in their eyes. They yearned for each other, wanted to finally get a break from getting put through one trial after another and yet, their love was still strong. It was something that not many would manage to get through and Sara admired that they still loved each other despite of not having received the opportunity to get together just yet. Sophie and Lok have told her some things already like about their fight against the professor and Zhalia spying on the Blood Spiral, and it saddened her to hear that they were forced to face so many obstacles and had to put work before their own happiness.

"Well, Scarlet seemingly noticed as well. She probably realized that with Zhalia in the way, she wouldn't be able to get Dante and thus she looked for a way to get rid of Zhalia." Sophie told her grimly, and Sara felt her eyes widen out of surprise and shock. She knew that Scarlet was not truly evil but instead, naive and desperate but Sara would have never expected her to try to get rid of Zhalia.

"How would she manage to do so though?" Sara asked with a confused frown. Zhalia was the top agent of the Foundation and member of their team and if Scarlet wanted to actually get rid of her, she would have to get stronger in order to fight or even injure her, what was highly unlikely and probably even impossible.

"She is naive and wants Zhalia out of the way and if she would succeed by getting Zhalia out of the picture, it would not only benefit her but also others who are targeting her." Sophie elaborated with hard eyes, and Sara instantly caught the message that her words concealed.

She suddenly felt her gut clench and tried her best to remain calm as the realization hit her like she had just received a slap right across the face.

"But that means-" Sara started, and Sophie gave her a nod.

"Scarlet works with the organization and tries to get Zhalia out of the way."

Silence engulfed the two of them and Sara run a hand over her face as Sophie voiced her words. Scarlet working against them was only making it all worse, and she knew that they were having a huge problem with her spying on the team. It was a wonder that they still didn't attack and abducted Zhalia or worse, killed her on the mission and she couldn't help but feel pity for the raven-haired female.

It was when she opened her eyes to look back at Sophie that her eyes grew open wide and her breath caught in her throat as her eyes fell on a form behind Sophie.

His blonde hair was a mess and plainly shocked eyes caught her own surprised ones, the small package of painkillers in his fist hanging loosely at his side.

Sophie froze as she noticed that Sara's gaze was locked on something behind her and already feared the worse. Her back straightened and she turned to look over her shoulder just to feel her heart clench painfully at the sight that greeted her.

"Lok." Sophie breathed in a mumble, her eyes shining with pity as they softened at the sight of her boyfriend. He stood there like rooted on the spot, jaw clenched and fists balled and for a moment, Sophie wanted to simply stand up and pull him into a hug.

She could only imagine in what kind of shock he must be in to find that his friend and old babysitter was a spy and tried to probably even kill his team member and person he considered a sister. It felt like a painful deja-vu, but with Scarlet it was different. Zhalia did it because she grew up as an organization agent and lived her entire life in a lie and even then, she gave up her old life and even went as far as fighting the person she considered her father. Scarlet though knew what was wrong and right and pointedly worked with the organization in order to gain more power and harm others for her own selfish desires. She knew that the organization was after their own goals and would only use her as a tool in order to get revenge on Zhalia for betraying them and yet, she was willing to do so.

"It can't be true. Please tell me that you're lying." Lok whispered with pleading eyes as he turned to look at Sophie. His heart was clenching painfully as he tried to let the realization sink in that Scarlet, his old innocent childhood friend was working against them instead of with them and tried to kill Zhalia.

"Lok-" Sophie started, but Lok's eyes instantly hardened as he shook his head.

"Sophie, say that you're wrong. You have to be." Lok returned as he gulped down the lump that formed itself in his throat, and Sophie's eyes softened. It pained her to see Lok in such distress, especially after everything they have been through.

"I can't." Sophie ruefully returned in a mumble, and Lok run a hand over his face. Silence overcame the three of them as Lok used the moment to sort his thoughts. He had heard everything Sophie told Sara and even though he wanted to believe that she was lying, deep inside he knew that it made sense. He refused to believe that Scarlet was working for the organization, it just went against everything he believed in and yet, he had to think rational. Back then with Zhalia, he had believed that she wouldn't harm them until the very last moment and in the end, he was right and she didn't harm them. Scarlet though, obviously tried to harm Zhalia already and even went to seek help from the organization what indicated that she was serious.

Lok slumped down next to Sophie and put his palms over his face, not wanting to believe that it was true, but reality was known for being painful.

He felt a small hand on his shoulder and instantly recognized it as Sophie's and for a moment, he felt bad for thinking that she would lie in the first place.

"Do you have any proof that she works for the organization?" Lok asked after some painfully long moments of silence and looked up to Sophie.

Sophie in return shook her head sadly, knowing that Lok would only fully believe them with any kind of proof, which they didn't have.

"We don't. When we were walking through the corridors, she brought up Zhalia's time in the organization and we all know that the only way she could've possibly found out about it would be by the organization itself." Sophie swiftly explained, but her eyes widened as soon as she realized something. Her eyes darted to look at Sara's surprised blue ones that eyed the two of them in pure shock and Sophie wanted to hit herself. She had completely forgotten that Sara didn't know about Zhalia's past in the organization and now that she knew, she may want to leave the team or worse, blame Zhalia and leave on her own.

"Sara-" Lok started, trying to come up with a swift excuse but Sara lifted her hand to stop him, her eyes hard.

"Explain." She curtly demanded and watched how Lok and Sophie exchanged an uncertain glance with each other. Sara felt a pang in her chest as she heard Sophie and realized that she was getting trained by someone who used to be part of the organization, the same one that was after her.

They were seemingly hesitating to explain but after some more moments of thinking about it, Sophie decided that it would be best if she would take over the explanation part.

Before she could speak up though, a new voice cut her off that caused them to look at the stairs in surprise.

"Zhalia is an orphan and the organization took her in as a child." Came Den's calm and steady voice from where he was seated on the lowest step of the stairs, much to the others surprise. They didn't notice him appearing in the first place and yet, he seemed way calmer than he should be in this kind of situation. He heard about the Scarlet issue as well but only decided to speak up when Zhalia's past was mentioned.

"She grew up as a member of the organization and you can say, got brainwashed to the point where she was the perfect killing machine. Two years ago, she was sent to spy on the team that consisted of Lok, Dante and Sophie with the order to kill Dante. Zhalia then joined the team, got multiple opportunities to kill Dante but in the end, simply couldn't for obvious reasons. She betrayed the organization, joined the Foundation after some time and has been a loyal agent and seeker of the Foundation ever since. She helped them fight the professor, spied on the Blood Spiral, fought against the betrayer and stayed with us even though the team threatened to break up." Den swiftly explained, eyes firmly set on Sara as he stood up from his seat and crossed his arms. Even though he was the last one to join before Sara, he knew just as much about what happened as the others did and after living with Zhalia and even though he was just as surprised upon hearing Lok tell him about Zhalia, he couldn't blame her. Thus, he concluded that if he were to explain he would be able to answer Sara's questions before she would have to vocally ask them because he simply knew what would go through her head.

"She is the most loyal person you will find and even though it doesn't seem like it at first, she cares a lot." Den softly added as an afterthought.

Sara needed a moment to take in everything that she just found out and couldn't help but pity her mentor. Of course she was weary of her as soon as Sophie had mentioned her past in the organization and yet now that Den had explained, she couldn't possibly blame Zhalia. Instead, her admiration for Zhalia grew somewhat more after finding out. Zhalia was raised with lies and a twisted perspective from the world and yet she managed to choose the right side despite of it all.

"So Scarlet uses her past to blackmail her." Sara concluded with a sigh, and noticed out of the corner of her eyes how the three of them grew less tense. She assumed that they thought that she would throw a tantrum upon hearing that Zhalia was a former member of the organization, what was quite understandable, but she was glad that they told her now rather than later nonetheless.

"I knew that something wasn't right with her." Den muttered under his breath as he moved to stand next to Sara who in return gave him a grim nod. She had only just met her and yet, something didn't sit her well with Scarlet either.

Lok rubbed his temples out of exhaustion. "But what now? If Scarlet really works with the organization and threatened or well, blackmailed Zhalia why didn't she simply tell Dante?" Lok inquired with a heavy heart, still quite hurt about the entire Scarlet thing.

"You refused to believe it at first as well." Den firmly reminded him, and Lok grimaced out of guilt. Then again, everyone would refuse to believe it until they would get a proof what in this case, were Zhalia and Sophie. Sophie and especially Zhalia would never lie about something as serious as this and they all knew it.

Silence filled the room and everyone was occupied by their own thoughts. It would be hard to proof that Scarlet was indeed trying to harm Zhalia and was an actual threat to them and they knew that as a council member, Dante would need some proof in order to take action.

"We have to catch her in the act." Sara eventually spoke up, earning the others attention. It would be the only way to proof Scarlet's betrayal and attempt of getting rid of Zhalia and now that they knew, the four of them would have to pay even more attention.

The others gave her a nod of agreement and Sophie heaved a sigh, emerald eyes filling with sadness.

"Poor them, it's been two years already and they still can't get together because of these kind of things." Sophie mumbled out of pity, and Lok shook his head as well.

"We have to do something. For the past two years they have always put our well-being and duties before their own needs and I think that now is the right time to pay them back." Lok told them, eyes hard and filled with determination. If it would go on like this, they would never be able to get together and have a peaceful relationship at all and they all knew it. They needed a little push, and they were willing to be the one pushing them into the right direction.

"Lok is right." Sophie agreed without hesitation, tired of seeing her mentors in this kind of dilemma.

Sara gave them a mute nod out of agreement, silently offering to help as much as she could whereas Den pursed his lips into a thin line.

"We need a plan." He reminded them. "A good one as well. They are not stupid and will know that something is off if we are too obvious."

Lok gave him a nod and looked from Den to Sara until his eyes locked with Sophie's emerald ones. They had to be careful not to let anything slip and act as soon as possible, but he was confident that they would manage. They would protect Zhalia at all costs and try to figure out a way to give her and Dante a push towards each other, it's the least that they could do for their mentors after everything the two of them have done for them. Even though he genuinely wished that Scarlet was innocent, he knew that if she were guilty it would make things easier and that there was nothing that they could do about it. With Zhalia it had been different and frankly admitted, Lok doubted that Scarlet would stop until she got what she wanted.

"It's settled then. Operation Zhante is hereby officially called to life."


	19. A Plan with complications

**A/N:** I'm still alive! I had to part this chapter into two because else it would have been too long, so expect the next update rather soon!

Enjoy and as always, please **review**!

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CHAPTER 19

 _The next morning_

"Morning mom, Dante." Came Lok's groggy greeting as he rubbed his eye with the back of his hand. His blonde hair was a mess and the dark bags under his eyes indicated that he probably didn't sleep well last night, what was quite unusual for Lok.

The blonde was still dressed in his blue pajamas when he walked over to his mother and gave her a brief kiss on her cheek before he sat down on the free chair next to her.

"Good morning sweetie." Sandra greeted with a small smile, concerned blue eyes watching how her son halfheartedly picked a slice of toast and placed it onto his plate.

"Morning Lok." Dante greeted his pupil with a smile as he took a sip of his coffee, amber eyes set on the young boy. He matured a lot, Dante noticed, appearance and character wise but his keen eyes didn't fail to notice the way he was still shivering lightly, probably because he was still tired. Except for the three of them, no one was at the table yet. Den was currently taking a shower in the guest bathroom and Zhalia was taking one in the bathroom that was attached to the girls room, so they shouldn't be here for another ten minutes.

Sophie, Sara and Scarlet were probably changing at the moment, since Lok had heard his girlfriends muffled voice from behind the door what lead him to believe that she was talking to Sara.

After their little chat at night, the team came to the conclusion that they would need a plan in order to get what they wanted. It took two grueling hours until they managed to come up with a strategy that they were certain about Zhalia and Dante couldn't see through but as soon as they went back to bed, none of them was able to sleep. Especially Lok.

He only got one hour of sleep until the sunlight woke him, and even though he was beyond exhausted he was somewhat excited to turn their plan into action as well, especially since he wanted to know if Scarlet would really try to go as far as killing Zhalia. Of course, they wouldn't allow her to get this far though.

As if on cue, the ginger haired female entered the room and as soon as Lok laid eyes on her, he tensed the lightest of bits. He forced himself to focus on preparing himself some food, but no matter how hard he tried he was unable to look her in the eyes.

"Good Morning." Scarlet chirped with a bright smile as she moved to sit down next to Dante. She pulled the chair back and was about to sit down when Lok suddenly straightened his back and forced a smile on his face.

"Morning Scarlet! Why don't you sit next to me today for a change you know, just like old times?" Lok suggested with a smile, his blue eyes shining with innocence as he took in Scarlet's confused expression.

She hesitated for a moment, green eyes filled with confusion before her trademark sweet smile found its way back on her lips and she walked over to sit down next to Lok, albeit reluctant.

Lok noticed how Dantes curious amber eyes were fixed on him, but Lok merely brushed it off and threw him a lazy grin in return.

Before anyone could speak up though, Sophie walked into the room, followed by the remaining members of their team, much to Lok's relief. Sophie's emerald eyes found his in an instant and Lok felt how his heart skipped a beat upon seeing her, just as it always did when their eyes met. He directed his smile towards her and this time it was soft and genuine. Yes, Lok Lambert was indeed one hell of a lucky guy.

Sophie returned his smile and sat down to Dante's left while Den and Sara each moved to sit at the head of the table, what only left one free seat for Zhalia.

Zhalia's expression remained indifferent as she sat down next to the auburn haired male who watched her every move carefully to find anything that may seem off about her. She was not oblivious to his observation and allowed her hazel eyes to meet his for the split of a second, allowing him to notice her mild irritation but Dante merely gave her a small smile in return.

Knowing that he was still worried, Zhalia didn't have the heart to grow any more irritated and instead, merely shook her head lightly, but not without Dante noticing the ghost of a smile on her lips.

Lok and Sara's gaze met for the split of a second as she lifted the cup with coffee that Sandra had given her to her lips, professionally hiding the smirk of satisfaction. Sophie's eyes were sparkling with mild amusement as she and Den noticed the way Scarlet's smile turned lightly stiff and she was eyeing Zhalia with carefully concealed aversion that was not noticeable if one didn't look for it.

Operation Zhante had officially begun.

"Sophie, are you feeling any better yet?" Lok inquired, gaining the others attention in an instant as he looked at said female in question. Sophie gave him another sweet smile as she nodded her head once and noted the concern in his blue eyes.

"I am feeling great, but what about you? I heard that you got hurt as well." Sophie commented, already knowing the answer to her own question. She had asked him the same question yesterday night and already received her answer, but the others didn't need to know about that.

"I'm fine." Lok returned before his eyes fell on Zhalia, who was taking a sip of her coffee. "How about you Zhalia, is your leg any better? Sophie said that you got hit quite bad." Lok went on and instantly noticed how Dante's gaze hardened as he glanced at him out of the corner of his blue eyes. Zhalia gave Lok a look that indicated that she was anything but pleased about him bringing up her injury before she turned to look at Sophie with burning hazel eyes.

"Oh did she?" Zhalia asked calmly, her tone causing a shiver to run down Lok's spine before she turned to look at Lok with a small, forced smile.

"It was just a small bruise, nothing that Everfight couldn't heal." Zhalia spoke curtly and with that, dismissed the topic. Dante didn't seem to think that the matter was to be taken lightly though and even though he remained silent, Lok knew that Dante would make sure to ask Zhalia about it later since he obviously didn't know about it. And even if he did, he didn't know hoe bad it was. Zhalia of course had lied and downplayed it but Sophie had seen the damage with her own eyes and it was anything but a mere bruise.

It was surprising to see that Zhalia was able to heal herself with Everfight this morning, but she knew that it would take a few more healing-sessions until her leg would be completely healed.

"Anyways," Den started as he took a bite of his toast, swiftly changing the topic. "what's on today's plan?"

His question was directed towards the entire group, but as the leader Dante knew that he was the one they expected an answer from and thus, spoke up.

"We'll return to Venice tomorrow, so you are free to do whatever you want today. " Dante informed them, and Den caught sight of Sophie's triumphant smile out of the corner of his eyes.

"I got an idea!" Lok suddenly spoke up, his bright blue eyes shining with excitement. "How about we go out and spend some time at the town?" He suggested, and noticed how Zhalia lifted an eyebrow at his proposal.

"That's a great idea Lok, it would be a nice change." Sara spoke with a smile as she put a strand of her brown hair behind her ear and poured some orange juice into her now empty cup.

"It is." Den agreed, meeting Sara's shining blue eyes with his dark ones. She gave him a small, yet knowing smile and he noted how sparkles of amusement danced in her brown orbs. It was the first time he had actually agreed with her, and even though it was somewhat planned it was amusing to hear him say it out loud nonetheless.

"Didn't you want to meet up with Harrison?" Zhalia asked after some moments, voice laced with mild curiosity as she threw Den a light confused look.

Den however was prepared for her to ask for his brother and threw her a smile, inwardly glad that they had already covered this part last night. Harrison was less than amused upon getting called at four in the morning, but upon hearing that Den was in Ireland he sounded more than wide awake.

"He should arrive at seven, says he got some business to take care of first." Den informed her, knowing that Zhalia would be inwardly glad to hear that she would be able to see him again as well.

Zhalia gave him a nod before she returned her focus on the task at hand, which was to fill her empty stomach with Miss Lamberts delicious breakfast.

"Scarlet, why don't you join us? It's going to be fun." Sophie invited the ginger-head, and that was when Zhalia's sharp hazel eyes turned to look at the strawberry-blonde in confusion. She was obviously not to keen on taking her with them after what happened and wondered what on earth Sophie was planning. She would never invite Scarlet without having planned something and whatever it was, Zhalia had a feeling that she wouldn't like it.

Scarlet seemed quite surprised by Sophie's invitation, however, and eyed the Casterwill in both suspicion and surprise. She knew that Sophie still remembered what happened on their previous mission and now that she out of everyone was inviting her to join them, she was not sure what to think.

Sophie wouldn't do anything that may cause her harm, Scarlet knew that much, but something was off either way.

"I don't know." Scarlet admitted with a sigh, inwardly hoping that Dante would convince her to join them but unfortunately, the one trying to convince her turned out to be blonde haired instead.

"Oh come on Scarlet, this way we can spend some time together!" Lok spoke with a small grin, and if Sophie wouldn't have known that it was for the missions sake only that Lok tried to convince her, she would be offended by his choice of words.

After some more moments of Lok's puppy-eyes and attempts of convincing his old baby-sitter, Scarlet eventually gave in.

"Alright, seems like I'm going to join you." Scarlet yielded with a sigh, albeit smiling as she continued to seek for Dante's eyes, whose center of attention was unfortunately for her, someone else.

"Great!" Lok exclaimed in glee and caught Den's dark eyes in an instant. Den was inwardly relieved upon realizing that they managed to successfully pass the first stage of their operation before he threw Lok a smirk, itching to move onto level two what would promise to be filled with action.

 _An hour later_

 _County Kerry_

The group of seven made their way to town as soon as they finished breakfast, what passed by without any further incidents.

Sophie's arm was locked with Lok's while Den and Sara pointedly tried to keep Scarlet away from Dante by talking to her themselves. She only gave them curt answers and Den noticed how she struggled to remain friendly and polite and now that he paid close attention, he noticed the way her eyes sparked with annoyance every once in a while.

That left Zhalia and Dante on their own, walking behind the small group in silence. It wasn't an uncomfortable one at all since there were no more actual issues between the two of them, but the teens didn't go through all that for them to be silent around each other.

While Dante was merely enjoying her company, Zhalia was in deep thought. Her internal struggle was as present as ever and she struggled between telling Dante her discovery or not. In her eyes it would only cause unnecessary drama and it wasn't like Scarlet would be a match against her either, but she felt bad for keeping it from him. He kept things from her as well, she knew as much, but it was for their own safety and he knew what was right and wrong.

She then felt his amber eyes on her again and even though she mildly wondered what it was that caused her to be his new center of attention, she couldn't say that she didn't like it.

"What's on your mind Dante?" Zhalia questioned in a breath, keeping her voice low so that the teens wouldn't hear. She turned to look at him, hazel eyes filled with mild curiosity as their eyes met and for a moment, Zhalia could have sworn to see amusement filling his amber eyes.

A sudden smirk tugged at the corner of his lips and Dante turned to look at the road ahead of them, hands in the pocket of his coat.  
"You." He admitted firmly, causing Zhalia to curse herself for allowing him to affect her like this. As soon as he had uttered the word, her heart skipped a beat and even though he wasn't even looking at her, she knew that he knew.

She merely shook her head with a light chuckle, the sound filling his ears like a calm melody as his smirk turned into a full smile.

"And to what do I owe this honor?" Zhalia inquired, eyes shining with clear amusement. It seemed like Dante would never change and ever so slowly, they were falling back into their old pattern. She knew that it was a bad time, especially with Scarlet being a spy and the high possibility of the Spiral Mark being active, but she found herself wanting to be selfish and enjoy it for once.

"You're Zhalia, and that's reason enough for you to be on my mind." Dante explained as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, and Zhalia rolled her eyes at his cliché answer.

A comfortable silence engulfed the two and with every step they were taking, she felt more and more guilty for keeping it from him. Her smile faded and a light frown graced her expression, her internal struggle displaying itself in her eyes and on her expression.

"I am worried about your health." Came Dante's sudden mumble, causing her eyes to catch his gaze with hers in an instant. His amber orbs were filled with concern and his expression was serious what lead Zhalia to believe that this time, she couldn't get away that easily.

"Dante, I am fine." Zhalia assured him in her usual indifferent tone, trying to act as nonchalant as possible but of course, Dante didn't buy it. He stopped for a moment and grabbed her wrist, lips in a thin line and eyes shining in disapproval.

"Zhaal, stop lying to me." Dante spoke lowly, clearly not liking the fact that Zhalia still tried to downplay her injuries as she had done all the times before.

Zhalia's gaze softened and after some moments, sighed. She knew that he was only concerned for her well being as he always was, and she couldn't lie to him either even if she tried. He knew her too well.

"I'll be fine." Zhalia corrected herself with a sigh, hazel eyes avoiding his amber eyes. "It just takes some time, but I will be fine in a few days."

She felt Dante's grip on her wrist loosen and saw how he gave her a nod, cautious amber eyes keeping a firm eye on her. He believed her and was glad that she was honest with him, but he still wasn't satisfied with it.

"If it's not better by today night, tell me." Dante told her sternly, starting to walk again as he noticed that the others fortunately still didn't notice that they were lagging slightly behind. Zhalia frowned as she as well began to walk next to him, hazel eyes shining with obvious displeasure.

"Dante, I know how to take care of myself." Zhalia reminded him firmly and watched how Dante sighed.

"I know, but do me the favor and tell me." Dante asked with soft amber eyes, and Zhalia mentally cursed him for being able to convince her just like that. She refused to give in just yet but it was still hard to resist his wish especially since it was something as small as this.

"Dante-" Zhalia started, ready to argue further but Dante was faster and cut her off mid-sentence, already knowing that she would not yield just yet.

"Zhalia, don't force me to check on you every ten minutes to make sure you're alright." Dante warned her, tone low, and Zhalia knew that he was serious. Knowing him, he would personally ensure that she really was alright every ten minutes and that was something she could live without.

"I'll let you know." The bluenette eventually yielded, albeit reluctant and with a lot of will power. She hated to rely on others and even though Dante only meant well, she never liked asking for help especially from him. He has done so much for her already, _too_ much, and she didn't want to entirely live off of him and his kindness.

Dante gave her a nod and together, they continued to walk in silence. There was nothing to talk about anyways, and they would rather spend their time merely enjoying each others company then talk about uninteresting things that no one actually cared about. They weren't ones for small talk.

It took them another ten minutes of walking until they reached the midst of the town. It was quite busy and the streets were filled with adults and children that were either rushing through the streets or chatting with each other.

"Oh man, it's been some time since I have last been here." Lok sighed with nostalgia as they stopped in the middle of the towns square. As a child, he and Cathy used to spend their time playing there with the other children but ever since he decided to move to Venice, he hasn't been here even once.

"Lok, where did you say the museum was?" Sophie inquired with a smile, eyes gleaming with interest as she looked at Lok in mild question.

Lok pretended to think for a moment as he tried to recall where said museum was at before he snapped his fingers as he remembered.

"Down the street, I think." Lok told them enthusiastically, much to Zhalia's surprise. Yes, the blonde did have a love for ancient artifacts but he never liked to go to museums or libraries with Sophie and only tagged along for her sake. He was way more enthusiastic than he should be, what only fueled Zhalia's suspicions of them planning something.

She pointedly remained silent though, and decided to keep an eye on them without saying anything just yet.

"Great. Shall we?" Sophie asked with a bright smile, earning a nod from Lok before the group made their way towards the museum. The way down the streets passed by rather uneventful and with the exception of Lok, Sophie and Den's chatter, no one spoke.

They then reached the rather tall looking building. The team bought their tickets -Dante insisted that he would pay- and then entered the museum.

It was larger than they expected and if one looked at it from the outside, it didn't seem like it would consist of five floors at all.

The inside architecture of the building strongly reminded of the Imperial Era, the rich designs and even furniture making it all look even more fancy.

"Wow." Sophie breathed, clearly impressed. Her emerald eyes took in the entrance hall with astonishment, clearly mesmerized by it's beauty and Lok instantly noticed the way her beautiful orbs sparkled in the light.

"Sophie, you're drooling." Came Den's teasing comment from her right, and Sophie instantly frowned. She sharply elbowed him in the ribs, throwing him a glare before she walked over to walk next to Zhalia who watched the scene in amusement.

Den huffed out of pain and Sara winced before she let out a sigh, obviously not understanding how he could be so idiotic. "You should have seen it coming." She commented with a shake of her head, not even bothering to look at him.

What turned out to be a mistake.

Den threw her a devilish smirk before he casually extended one of his legs, causing her to trip rather inelegantly over his leg. Her eyes flew open wide in shock and her breath hitched in her throat as she realized what was happening. Before Sara was able to hit the ground though, she felt an arm wrap itself around her slim waist that kept her upright and prevented her from colliding with the ground.

Her head whirled to her right just to see the familiar smirking face of Den, brown eyes gleaming with amusement as he took in her shocked expression. He then removed his arm from her waist and shook his head in a tsking matter, walking past her still surprised form.

"Should've seen it coming, klutz." Den commented nonchalantly and Sara heard Zhalia snort at Den from behind her, causing her to snap out of it.

A low growl escaped her throat and Sara balled her fists out of anger. She had almost gotten humiliated by falling straight onto her face just because of him, and she would not allow him to live with the satisfaction of having this power over her. Sophie went up behind her and gave her a comforting pat on the shoulder, green eyes filled with pity for the brunette.

"I swear to god Den Fears, you'll get that back." Sara spoke lowly, but loud enough for him to hear. She was walking behind him so she couldn't see his face, but she didn't need to for she could already foresee his self-assured smirk.

"Didn't expect anything else, klutz." Den nonchalantly returned, his tone clearly laced with amusement and Sara noticed the way he found a new nickname for her. How creative.

She walked past him and brushed her shoulder roughly against his on purpose, muttering a soft "Jerk." Under her breath as she passed him.

Den gave a low chuckle at her rather plain insult, having expected something worse and somewhat extraordinary from her.

"So, where should we start?" Lok inquired all of sudden, causing the others to stop. The team gathered into a circle in the middle of the hall and looked at each other in question, seemingly content with anything.

"I wanted to take a look at the paintings of the Chinese emperors on the second floor." Sophie told them with a smile. Lok gave her a nod and was about to open his mouth and suggest to start there, but Sara cut him off.

"Actually, I wanted to go and find out some things about the Roman emperors for our project that's due to next week on the fourth floor." Sara admitted with a sheepish smile, noticing how Sophie gave her a thumbs up from behind Zhalia.

"Uh, well, how about we-" Lok started, just to get cut off mid-sentence again.

"You can't be serious, we gotta go and see the Napoleon wax-figure on the second one first!" Den objected with a frown, clearly wanting to get after his own interest first.

Lok, by now, seemed more than lost and Dante pitied the poor boy. The auburn haired seeker shook his head with a sigh before he took his hands out of the pockets of his yellow coat.

"How about we split up?" He calmly suggested, knowing that if he wouldn't the teens would start an argument again and to be frank, he wasn't in the mood for dealing with moody and pouting teenagers at the moment.

"Very well then." Sophie returned with a smile. "How about Den and Sara form a team, Lok and Scarlet build the second one and Zhalia, Dante and I are going to form the third one?" She suggested with a hopeful smile, but Sara instantly grimaced. Why was it that it was always her and Den that got teamed up together? It was starting to seriously annoy her, especially since she was certain that he would pull one stunt after another.

Sara knew better than to object though, for the sake of their own little mission, and now knew why Sophie left out that little detail of their plan.

Oh just peachy.

"I actually wanted to have a look at the Chinese history for quite some time now. Mind if I tag along?" Came Scarlet's honey-dipped question, and Sophie's eyes instantly fell onto Loks blue ones. He gave her a wink and took a step forwards to lay a hand on the ginger-heads shoulder, causing her to look at him.

"Don't worry, we'll make sure to go there after we took a look at the Vikings!" Lok informed her cheerily, and noticed the way her pale green orbs flickered with impatience.

"Actually Lok," Scarlet started, an apologetic smile making its way onto her lips but before she was able to end her sentence, Sara grabbed Den's wrist with a smile. Her blue eyes were looking straight at his confused brown ones as she tightened her already strong hold on his wrist, causing him to bite his tongue out of pain. He knew that at this rate, she could easily snap his wrist into two and if she wouldn't let go soon, he would probably get nasty bruises.

"Come on, what are we waiting for?" Sara chirped, her blue orbs sparkling as she tugged at his wrist. She then dragged him after her, obviously taking him off guard, and threw the rest of the team a bright smile and a salute. "See you later guys!"

And with that, the two rounded a corner and disappeared out of their sight, leaving a confused yet bemused team behind.

"Girls." Lok muttered under his breath with a shake of his head before he mimicked Sara's action and grabbed Scarlet's wrist, gently pulling her after him. "Let's go Scarlet. Later guys!"

Scarlet didn't even get the time to protest but Lok instantly noticed how she tensed under his touch, causing him to grit his teeth. She clearly didn't want him to be there and would have rather gone with Dante, but he needed to get her away from them in order for the plan to be successful. He didn't particularly want to be around Scarlet either considering that she was most likely his enemy and tried to kill her team member out of pure jealousy, but he had to for Zhalia and Dante's sake.

He heaved a sigh and forced another smile onto his lips as they walked towards the stairs to make their way towards the first floor, where the vikings exhibition was supposed to be at.

That only left Sophie, Dante and Zhalia. Sophie turned to look at the two adults with a bright smile.

"Well then, shall we?" She asked, noticing how Zhalia and Dante exchanged a look out of the corner of their eyes before they gave her a nod and followed the rather enthusiastic strawberry-blonde.

The trio made their way towards the elevator and waited for some moments until the metallic doors opened and they stepped into it. Fortunately it was only them in the rather large elevator and after the doors closed, a rather uncomfortable silence fell over them.

A few moments ticked by before the ride was over and the elevator stopped, the doors opening with a soft ping noise.

Zhalia pushed herself off of the wall she leaned with her back against before the three of them started walking through the second floor and towards where their destination was supposed to be at.

Sophie tried to suppress the grin as dared to break out on her face as she mentally prepared herself for the third stage of their little plan, in which she played a rather big and important role. But it wasn't the right time yet, so Sophie had to remain calm and patient.

In comparison to Sophie, Zhalia was rather tense and even though she tried her best to focus on the art and sculptures that the museum displayed, she couldn't help but feel like something was off.

It was when they turned a corner and entered a rather small hall that lead into a bigger one that she caught something out of the corner of her eye, causing her to freeze.

Her eyes instantly narrowed into sharp slits and as her hazel orbs tried to get a proper look at it, it disappeared.

She was certain that her sight had not betrayed her and even though there seemed to be nothing, she knew better than to allow her eyes to fool her instincts.

Zhalia stopped walking and grabbed Sophie's wrist gently, catching the girl by mild surprise. Sophie turned to look at Zhalia in question, Dante wearing a similar expression, but before they could ask what was wrong Zhalia answered their unspoken questions.

"I forgot that Sara still has Kilthane, I gave it to her back in the castle. You two can go on and look at these paintings while I'll get it."Zhalia swiftly attempted to excuse herself, but Sophie tilted her head in confusion. Of course what Zhalia said was a lie, but she needed to get away from them and _fast_.

Sophie, obviously lightly suspicious, eyed her in confusion and mild panic. That was most definitely not good and would make their plans even more complicated than they already were.

"Why do you need it now?" Sophie asked confused, and the jade-eyed girl instantly noticed the sparkle of impatience that flashed in her eyes.

"She'll be an even easier target in case of an attack with Kilthane because they'll think that she mastered it and won't hold back. I'll hurry back, promise." Zhalia swiftly explained, her voice lacking any emotion. It eerily reminded Sophie of the time when Zhalia was still with the organization and would keep things for herself, but even though she noticed that something was off, Zhalia's excuse was reasonable so that she couldn't possibly say anything against it.

"Alright then, me and Dante are going to wait here for you. I'll give you five minutes Zhalia, else we'll leave for the sculptures without you." Sophie threatened halfheartedly, and Zhalia gave her a curt nod. Giving Sophie and Dante one last glance the bluenette swiftly turned around and walked out of the small hall back into the corridor, a frown gracing her face.

She turned a corner and breathed an internal sigh of relief as she noticed that she ended up in a rather more quiet part where no one was, the hall completely empty.

Zhalia then stopped right in the middle of it and heaved a clearly annoyed sigh, fists balled as the corner of her lips tugged upwards into a cold smirk.

"Bad decision, Missy." Zhalia spoke lowly and heard how the doors fell shut behind her with a loud bang, just as she had expected them too.

"How so? I got six suits with me, whereas you're on your own." Came the sickening sweet voice of Scarlet from behind her, and Zhalia allowed the huff of amusement to leave her lips.

So Scarlet thought that it would only take six suits and herself to abduct, if not even kill her? Zhalia couldn't help but feel offended. It took more than that to knock her out or to actually land a hit on her. She was a trained spy and the top seeker of the Foundation, six suits were nothing near intimidating and rather, a well needed exercise for Zhalia after her rather long time off of missions for the past two months.

"Only six? I am offended that you think you could defeat me with six suits only." Zhalia mocked, and didn't even need to turn around to know that Scarlet was most likely frowning out of anger by now. The ginger head was way too predictable, something that always served as a clear advance in case of a fight.

Zhalia knew that it would be there and then that they would settle this once and for all, and Zhalia would make sure to make her understand that she would not bend under any kind of threat, especially by a threat made by the organization and Scarlet. It could even be a threat by the Blood Spiral or the betrayer himself, and she wouldn't waste a second thought on it.

"You may be strong Zhalia Moon, but I got the clear advantage in this fight. It's time for you to pay for your betrayal." Scarlet informed the bluenette, her tone laced with aversion.

Zhalia's smirk merely broadened and turned into a cold grin before she cracked her knuckles, going into her fighting trance before she turned around to face Scarlet right in the eye, brown orbs filled with determination.

"Bring it on then."


	20. A seekers selfish desire

**A/N:** I'm back with Chapter no.20! WOw, it's been twenty chapters already! Thanks for over 100 reviews, I can't thank you all enough for the support I received this far and as a thank you gift, I present you this chapter with a surprise *wink wink* Enjoy, and as always, please review!

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CHAPTER 20

"That's not good, that's not good at all." Lok mumbled as his wide blue eyes scanned the crowd for the ginger haired female. They have just arrived at the viking exhibition when Scarlet had excused herself, saying she needed to use the bathroom. It's been ten minutes ever since and slowly Lok was beginning to get the nagging suspicion that Scarlet had not gone to the bathroom in the first place.

Oh the others were _so_ going to kill him.

Deciding that he had waited long enough, Lok pulled out his cellphone and quickly dialed Sophie's number as he pushed through the crowd and silently excused himself as he made his way towards the exit.

After some moments, Sophie fortunately picked up and Lok breathed a sigh of relief. "Sophie, thank goodness you picked up." The blonde mumbled, his keen eyes scanning the foyer for any sign of the red-head, in vain.

" _What's it Lok?"_ Came Sophie's question and even though it seemed nonchalant, he noticed the way her tone was laced with a hint of suspicion.

Lok gulped. "Code Blue." Was all he managed to choke out as he made his way back past the elevator and up the stairs onto the second floor where Sophie, Dante and Zhalia were supposed to be at.

" _What?"_ Came Sophie's hiss, and Lok could already imagine his girlfriends panicked wide eyes. He knew that he should have kept a better eye on Scarlet, but he couldn't have possibly denied her to go to the bathroom either. It would be both suspicious and ridiculous. She must have known as well for she had used the excuse at the right opportunity, but now their entire plan was threatened to fail and that was something Lok was determined to prevent.

"I know, I am going to look for her on the third floor, while you try to check the second floor without Dante noticing any suspicious." Lok told her, knowing that if Sophie would be too obvious Dante and Zhalia would notice that something was off. He couldn't possibly join them either and say that he had lost Scarlet, it would only make matters worse.

" _Lok,"_ Sophie mumbled in a lightly objecting way, causing him to lightly frown out of concern. _"Alpha 1 is absent as well."_

"What!?" Now it was Lok's turn to hiss into the phone, his eyes flying open wide out of concern and surprise. This time he definitely had a reason to worry not only because of their plan, but also because of their teammate. If Zhalia and Scarlet both were Absent, it had to mean one thing only and that was nothing good at all. They had to act and fast if they wanted to succeed.

"Sophie, just do what I say and stay on the second floor. I'll tell Den to check the fifth one and Sara to check the fourth. They have to be on one of the upper ones because I just checked the first one and there is no sign of them. I'll have a look at the second and third." Lok swiftly muttered into the phone, careful that no bystanders could overhear him as he finally reached the top of the stairs and rushed into the first hallway that greeted him on the second floor.

" _Understood."_ He heard Sophie's curt reply before the line went dead, and Lok instantly dialed Den's number and waited for the brunette to pick up. The blonde sighed to himself as he shook his head, rounding another corner and avoiding to run straight into a rather surprised and disgruntled over female.

Why did their plans never go as planned?

-X-

"Ugh, why is it that we always get paired up together?" Sara muttered under her breath as she dropped Den's wrist the instant they were out of sight, her smile turning into an exhausted frown. Out of everyone of the team she just _had_ to get teamed up with him. She had hoped that after their last mission she wouldn't have to spend much time with him, especially after his last stunt, but it seemed like fate had other plans.

Den snorted in return and rubbed his sore wrist, eyeing the brunette female with calm yet displeased eyes.

"Trust me, I'm not what you would call happy either." Den assured her in a sarcastic tone as they were walking down the corridor, Sara pointedly averting her eyes from him. "I mean, who would want to get teamed up with a klutz? Tsk, what a burden."

Something in Sara snapped at his words and she froze in place, causing him to nearly run into her. He managed to avoid her in last second and stopped as well, eyeing her in mild confusion as he noticed that her fists were clenched and her head lowered so that it shielded her blue eyes from him.

"You're right, I am a burden to you guys." Sara spoke lowly and as she lifted her head, a bittersweet smile was on her lips and her eyes cold and hard. It was then that Den had realized his mistake. She must have believed him when he had said that she was a burden and even though it wasn't meant to be taken serious, she obviously did. As his eyes met hers, it felt as if someone had punched him right into the gut and somehow, he regretted to have opened his big mouth.

She had just joined their team, gone on a mission that they almost didn't survive and had to listen to his constant nagging and now that he thought of it, it must have been pretty rough for her.

"Sara-" he started with a sigh, but the female merely lifted her hand, causing him to close his mouth in an instance.

"Don't. You're right, I am a burden." She repeated once more, but then her eyes narrowed and she took a step forwards. "But that doesn't mean that I'll always be. I am a member of the team just like you for a reason. I will train and become a seeker that knows how to defend and take care of herself but until that, all I can do is try my best not to burden you all with my presence. I don't need you to remind me that I am practically useless, because I can assure you that I am very well aware of that without your constant comments."

Den could only watch in a stunned silence how Sara whirled around and continued to walk down the corridor with calm and even steps, even though she radiated an aura that was anything but pleasant.

Den run a hand over his face and gritted his teeth. She was right, he was a jerk, but he didn't think that she would take it to heart especially since she often took her revenge.

He knew how hard it was to be the new addition to the team, but she never gave off the impression of the easily insulted girl especially since Den thought that it was obvious that most of his comments were sarcastic.

He messed up, that much was obvious.

Before he could do anything though, he felt his phone vibrate in his right pocket. Clearly annoyed by the others timing Den hurried to catch up with Sara who pointedly ignored his presence and picked up his phone.

"What's it Lok?" Den asked irritated, not knowing what Lok could possibly want from him especially after they have only been parted for like ten minutes.

" _Code Purple, Alpha and Gamma rank. Location unknown, check out four and five hundred asap."_ Came Lok's curt message, and Den instantly frowned as he tried to remember the codes meaning. As soon as he did though, his eyes widened for the split of a second and he felt the first signs of a headache make themselves evident.

Just what he needed.

"Got it." Den told him as they rounded a corner but as soon as the two of them were about to enter the hall, something caught his eye that caused him to halt instantly. He felt a pang of annoyance in his chest and instantly eyed a rather oblivious Sara out of the corner of his eye, ensuring that she was walking close enough to him.

"Lok, we got another problem." Den muttered into the phone as he caught the target person looking at him before he spoke into his earpiece, causing Den to inwardly curse as he averted his eyes.  
 _"What's it?"_ Came Lok's frustrated groan, and Den fought the urge to groan at the sight as well. Standing in the corner of the exhibition hall were three suits and judging by the way they were looking at him, they have most likely recognized them already. He feigned obliviousness and thus didn't spare them a second glance as they entered, trying to mix with the crowd.

"Weasels." Was all he spoke, voice merely above a whisper as he laid an arm over Sara's shoulder, pulling her closer to him. The female instantly tensed and shot him an incredulous and angered glare, but he merely shot her a soft smile before he looked into the direction of the suits. She followed his glance and Den felt her tense under his touch, causing him to squeeze her shoulder reassuringly.

" _Forget what I said earlier and stay where you are. As soon as you get the opportunity, try to get onto the second floor, location C. Remember the plan."_ Lok spoke hurriedly, and Den gave him a nod although the blonde couldn't see him.

"Roger." Den affirmed before he ended the call, tucking his phone back into his pocket before he started to walk again, his arm still around the tense seekers shoulders. He was taking a look at the different paintings with a mild smile and tightened his hold on her whenever Sara tried to shrug his arm off ever so secretively.

Den, obviously not in the mood for her stubborn behavior, knew that the last thing she could possibly want was to be near him after what happened, but she had little say in this kind of situation.

He leaned over to her ear and smiled out of satisfaction as he noticed that the suits averted their eyes from them as soon as he did so, obviously not trying to gain his or Sara's attention.

"Code Purple, and I am sure that you noticed our little friends over there as well." Den mumbled, feeling her stiffen under his touch before she gave him a slow nod, much to his relief. She would have to remain calm so that they would not get suspicious and find out that they noticed them, and Den only hoped that all of this would not end in one huge mess.

"Good, so just play along and follow my lead until we find a way out of here." Den told her, his voice having dropped an octave lower as they moved on onto the second painting. He knew that Sara was not comfortable in his presence, but ever since her encounter with the suits he also knew that she still somewhat feared them.

Sara merely nodded once more before she returned her gaze to the painting in front of her, hoping that the others were having better luck.

She felt Den's grip on her shoulder tighten once more and for the first time this day, she allowed herself to heave a hearty sigh. She knew that it was only an act in order to keep her close, but she couldn't help but appreciate the small gesture. Sara was still mad, yes, but she couldn't possibly blame him for thinking of her as a burden. It was the truth after all, there was no sugarcoating it.

But she would change that, that much was sure.

-X-

Sophie wanted to scream out of frustration. Dante was starting to check his watch more and more often and she knew that he was worried because of Zhalia's rather long absence. She couldn't possibly blame him, for she was worried as well, but she couldn't allow him to find out about their current situation and that she was most likely fighting Scarlet.

They were walking down the hallway together with a small group of adults and children who were admiring the paintings and sculptured but unfortunately, Sophie was unable to properly look at them. She tried to pick up any trace of magic around there but as for now, she was unable to make out anything at all.

It was when they entered another small hall that her senses started to tingle, causing her to stop out of surprise. It felt as if a huge rush of energy overcame her, similar to the feeling of someone pouring a bucket of cold water over her, and she instantly grabbed Dante's sleeve.

"Wait." She called out before she could stop herself, emerald eyes wide out of alarm. Dante turned to look at her calmly, amber eyes filled with mild confusion and that was when she realized something.

He was way too calm.

She held his eyes with her surprised gaze, jade eyes gleaming in the lightning of the room whereas his cool amber eyes didn't waver. Sophie knew this look all too well and mentally scolded herself for only realizing now.

"You knew." She stated with a tilt of her head, slowly releasing her hold on his coat. She was surprised to say at last but then again, it was Dante. Sophie should have expected no less from him.

He merely turned around and walked straight into the direction where Sophie had sensed the magic coming from, hand neatly tucked into the pocket of his coat.

"Let's go." Dante spoke calmly and without a second thought, Sophie followed her mentor to settle things for once and all.

-X-

Zhalia dodged a kick that a suit directed at her face and grabbed his ankle before twisting it, earning a pained scream from the female as she blocked a spell that another suit shot towards her with Armorbrand. The bluenette threw the suit backwards, causing him to hit the wall with a loud thud before she jumped aside and fired another spell towards another suit.

A layer of sweat was covering her forehead and she had to admit that even though the suits were not strong and by far no match for her, it was hard to fight six ones at once with the addition of Scarlet's annoying spells. The female remained standing in front of the door and only shot spells towards her whenever Zhalia had accidentally left a side uncovered, causing the hazel eyed female to receive a series of blows already just because of Scarlet's coward way of fighting.

Zhalia allowed herself to inhale deeply before she eyed her surroundings. There were only two conscious suits left and Scarlet, the other suits being already unconscious.

It didn't take Zhalia to knock out the remaining two suits until it was only Scarlet and her, the former looking nothing near intimidated.

Zhalia narrowed her eyes and balled her right fist, the familiar dark hue engulfing her hand as she felt the rush of power flowing through her veins. She prepared herself to land a blow onto the ginger head but before she did as much as move, she felt a gust of wind behind her. Zhalia instantly forced her body to the right and just barely missed an Augerfrost, the spell gracing her clothes the lightest of bits.

She turned around to be greeted by another group of suits and noticed that this time, it was a group whose faces she didn't recognized. They must have made an appearance as soon as they noticed that the other group would not be able to fight any longer and Zhalia noticed that this time, they surrounded her.

She straightened her back and eyed the suits closely, noticing that they have formed a perfect circle around her. It wasn't like she couldn't take them out in this formation, for she easily could, but not without a bruise or two.

"Give up and come with us, or die a traitor." Scarlet spoke with a cold smile, the sweetness that laced her voice skillfully covering the venom beneath it.

Zhalia merely shot her a cold grin, eyes filled with a challenging spark. "You watch too many movies, princess." She spoke, satisfaction overcoming her at Scarlets frown. "I won't die today, and we both know that the only traitor in this room is you Scarlet."

Scarlet pursed her lips out of displeasure and furrowed her brows, clearly disliking Zhalia's choice of words as she took a step closer and moved to stand right in front of her, confident that Zhalia wouldn't try anything because of the suits.

"We'll see about that." Came Scarlet's cold comment and with a snap of her fingers, each one of the suits summoned a spell, whereas others called their titans.

Zhalia, though, remained unfazed and kept her gaze locked with Scarlets, mocca eyes hard. She knew that this would be her last chance to end things without having to hurt her and even though Zhalia wouldn't mind knocking some sense into her, she knew that it would only make things worse than they already were.

"You're making a mistake." Zhalia calmly commented, eyes narrowed. "You really want to throw your life away just like that? The organization won't let you go back to the Foundation and act as if nothing happened if you were to actually kill me. The others will find out that you were the one responsible for my death and believe me when I say that with my death, a ripple of rather unpleasant events will occur. Can you actually live with the knowledge that you're the one at fault for that?" She questioned coldly.

Scarlet was facing Zhalia with her back but out of every reaction Zhalia had expected, she didn't expect her to chuckle. Scarlet turned around to face Zhalia with amused green eyes and shook her head at the blue haired female.

"The organization is going to take the blame, of course, and I'll be the one who'll cheer them up. After all, one shouldn't mourn over the death of a traitor. They'll realize that they're better of with me instead of you and unfortunately, the only way to achieve that is by killing you." Scarlet drawled, not sounding the least bit sorry. Zhalia had expected no less and yet, it was worth a try. If Scarlet wanted to destroy her own life just like that, she wouldn't stop her.

"So, any last words?" Scarlet asked as she as well called a spell, causing her fist to glow an amber hue.

Zhalia, merely smirked in return and tilted her head the lightest of bit, a sparkle of mild amusement lightening up her dark eyes. "Actually, yes." She told her before her eyes turned to catch her gaze with her unwavering one.

"What took you so long?"

With that, the large wooden doors flew open with a loud bang, causing everyone but Zhalia to whirl around to look at it in shock and surprise. Scarlet's head shot into the direction of the now destroyed door and at the sight that greeted her, her eyes flew open wide. Standing in the doorway were no other than Lok, Sophie and Dante, the former two wearing a prominent frown whereas the later merely smiled at them. Scarlet gulped down the lump that formed itself in her throat and caught Dante's firm gaze with her lightly panicked one.

"Is it too late to join your little party?" Dante spoke, his smile having turned into a smirk whereas Zhalia merely rolled her eyes at him.

He always needed that special entrance, didn't he?

"Oh thank god you came!" She breathed in faked relief, the spell in her hand fading. "Zhalia and the suits attacked me, you got to help me!" Scarlet called in fear, fully turning to look at the trio and Zhalia lifted a brow at that. Well that was plainly pathetic, even for Scarlet.

Sophie snorted and took a step forwards, fists balled. Anger radiated off of her in waved and the fury in her emerald eyes was clearly evident. Sophie Casterwill was pissed, and she would not stand by and watch her teammate getting nearly killed and wronged as well.

"It's over Scarlet, we heard everything. I already knew that you were not sane ever since the incident at the Castle, but trying to actually kill a member of the Foundation, Zhalia nonetheless, is simply outrageous!" She barked, clearly getting straight to the point. Sophie and Lok already knew about Scarlet and since Dante seemingly knew as well, it wasn't that much of a surprise to them. Then again, they wouldn't have expected Scarlet to actually turn her words into action either.

"What castle incident?" Dante muttered, his smirk turning into a frown as he shot Sophie a hard look which she merely shook off with a wave of her hand.

Lok was the next one to step forwards, fists balled and his head lowered. He couldn't bear to look her into the eye after all she had done. He was hurt and even though he already had time to cope with the thought of Scarlet betraying them, it hurt nonetheless.

"Out of everyone Scarlet, I would have never thought that you would do something like that." Lok spoke, voice steady but laced with both hurt and mild anger. "How could you?" He questioned with a shake of his head before he lifted his gaze to meet hers, blue eyes flashing with a mixture of emotions.

His eyes then fell onto Zhalia who merely eyed him with pity, and he noticed how worn out she looked despite of the fight not having lasted long. She was growing weaker with every fight she was having since she had no opportunity to actually fully rest, and the mere thought of Scarlet wanting to kill the person he considered a bigger sister left him inwardly furious and disgusted.

Dante merely remained silent and gave Zhalia a quick look over, ensuring that she was not injured, before he turned to look at Scarlet. Her expression held sole disbelief and panic, her green eyes darting from Lok to Sophie, and eventually him. It seemed like they have just ruined her little plan and even though she seemed shocked, there was no sign of regret in her eyes.

She then frowned and narrowed her eyes into thin slits, a sigh passing her pale pink lips. "I did what was necessary. She is a traitor and traitors have to get punished." Scarlet reasoned, the hint of desperation in her voice clearly audible.

Sophie was ready to open her mouth and continue to argue, but Dante was faster and laid a hand on her shoulder to stop her.

'"You're right Scarlet." Dante agreed calmly, causing Sophie and Lok to look at him in confusion and light alarm.

"Dante, what-"

Dante merely lifted his hand, causing Sophie to fall silent as he turned to look at Scarlet with hard amber eyes.

"Traitors have to get punished. I'll take it on myself to punish the traitor, if you allow me to." He offered, and by now Lok's jaw was clearly hitting the ground. He knew that Dante was planning something but as for now, Dante's words still surprised him.

Scarlet's eyes lightened up and she gave him a swift nod, moving aside so he could pass her and reach Zhalia without any problems. The suits were still standing in the circle, obviously waiting for Scarlet's command and even though it looked like they obeyed her commands only, they were itching to attack Dante and he knew it.

Dante gave her a small smile before he started to walk towards a seemingly calm Zhalia, passing a series of tense suits and a grinning Scarlet. Zhalia seemed quite calm and indifferent as she watched him making his way towards her, but the spark in his amber eyes revealed his plans to her. He came to a stop right in front of her and held her gaze evenly, just as she did. No words needed to be exchanged between the two of them to know what the other one was thinking and for a moment, all there was was silence. Lok and Sophie held their breath, unaware of what Dante was planning whereas Scarlet was practically shaking with joy, her green eyes wide with anticipation.

"Let's get it over with Zhaal." Dante spoke lowly, and her eyes softened in understanding as she gave him a curt nod.

"Dante, what the hell are you doing?" Sophie called from the back of the hall, clearly alerted. She was about to walk over but Lok grabbed her wrist before she could take a step further towards him, causing her to look at him in disblief. Lok merely shook his head and pulled her back, his expression stern.

"Don't, he knows what he is doing." Lok whispered, and Sophie reluctantly did as told. Lok knew that Dante would never hurt Zhalia and would rather get himself killed before he would harm her. The blonde let go of Sophie's wrist as soon as he was certain that she would not try anything grabbed her petite hand instead, giving it a soft squeeze afterwards.

"Alright." Came Zhalia's mutter and since Dante was facing the others with his back, they were unable to see the soft smile that Dante shot her in return. Dante channeled his energy into his fist and uttered the spells name, the small Boltlfare appearing on the palm of his hand in an instant.

He lifted his hand and as soon as he did, Zhalia disappeared into thin air. It was too late that the suits and Scarlet realized what was going on and Dante swiftly shot the Boltflare towards the nearest suit, causing him to crash into a rather expensive looking oil painting. Zhalia appeared behind Scarlet and clamped a hand over her mouth from behind, a flash of purple filling her eyes.

"Darksleep." She muttered and with that, Scarlet's body grew limp under her touch. Zhalia carefully set her down onto the ground -they didn't need her to get a concussion- before she signalized Lok to come over, Sophie having already joined Dante in the fight against the suits.

Lok instantly rushed to her side and the first thing he did was to pull her into a hug. Zhalia was too surprise to act and just felt how Lok held her tightly, as if afraid that if he would let go she would disappear. "I am so sorry for not noticing earlier." He mumbled in regret, and Zhalia's gaze softened. She returned his hug for the split of a second, giving him a small squeeze before she noticed a movement out of the corner of his eyes. Zhalia instantly pushed Lok onto the ground and called an Armorbrand that blocked the spell just in time, and she breathed a sigh of relief.

"Lok, are you alright?" Zhalia asked, and Lok merley rubbed his head with a small grin in return. He gave her a nod of his head and stood up, his blue eyes fixed on Scarlets unconscious form. It didn't take Dante and Sophie long to knock out the remaining suits and after Dante had knocked the last one unconscious with a rather painfully hard looking punch, they gathered in a small circle.

Lok wrapped Scarlerts arms around his neck and shifted under her weight after he decided to carry her unconscious body on his back, concluding that he would be the best one for the job. Sophie was calling Den and Sara and swiftly informed them about what had happened, telling them where to meet up with the rest of the team before she ended the call. Zhalia and Dante remained silent and even though a hundred of questions were filling each one of their minds, they didn't speak. The team then left without another word, the unconscious suits still laying on the ground of the hall and Dante merely closed the door behind them as they walked down the corridor.

It took them around two minutes until they reached the foayer where Den and Sara were already waiting for them. They have been standing there for around five minutes, not speaking to each other and whenever Den tried to start a conversation, she only gave him short answers that indicated that she didn't want to converse with him at all.

"Guys!" Den called out of relief as he saw his team approaching, but his eyes narrowed as soon as he saw the unconscious Scarlet on Lok's back. Sophie had only mentioned a fight and even though he could have guessed what happened, it was still strange to think of.

Dante shot them a smile whereas Sophie gave them a small wave, the remaining two only giving them a nod. Zhalia was exhausted and Lok was a wreck after what happened, but it was only understandable so he didn't further comment on that.

"So we were right after all." Sara mumbled softly, her pity-filled blue orbs giving Lok a look of sympathy.

"Unfortunately." Sophie added with a sigh as they began to walk outside, and Sara instantly moved to walk next to Zhalia. It was still strange, knowing that her own mentor had once been part of the same organization that tried to kill her and the others, but she couldn't deny that she felt safe around her. All that mattered was that Zhalia was on the right side and most importantly, seemingly happy with the decision of joining the Foundation back then.

"You alright teach?" Sara asked with a small smile, and Zhalia smirked at her question. Her hazel eyes turned to look at Sara in a similar way she had done the day before at the castle after they have crossed the barrier but this time, it seemed like a burden was lifted off of her shoulder.

"It takes more than a crazy red-head and some suits to take me down, kiddo." Zhalia told her with an amused snort, and Sara merley smirked in return.

"And that's why you're my mentor." Sara replied, causing Zhalia to nod in agreement as they left the museum and started walked through the small town and back towards the Lambert mansion. It would take some time until they would reach it and some more minutes to explain what happened to Sandra, but then again they couldn't do anything about it.

"Exactly." Zhalia replied, lips tilting upwards into a small smirk. Dante, who had seemingly overheard their little conversation, frowned out of confusion and lifted a brow at Zhalia's words.

"I'm a good mentor as well." Dante objected, clearly offended. "It's because of me that Lok and Sophie are where they are right now." He pointedly reminded them, though there was a teasing hint that laced his voice.

Zhalia rolled her eyes and shook her head with a snort. "We practically raised them, so give me some credit. Also, I was the one babysitting them whenever you were busy." She reminded him, remembering the countless amount of times the team would hang out without him both before and after her betrayal just because Dante was absent and had to take care of some Foundation business. Then there was the time when Dante moved to NewYork, and the four of them practically spend the entire two months together.

"True." He admitted with a sigh and even though he tried to sound offended, the smile on his lips clearly betrayed his voice. He really did miss those days when the team would spend some time together when they weren't on a mission.

"Hey, we're right here you know!" Lok called with a pout, but he couldn't deny that they weren't right either. They practically did raise them after all. They taught him how to become seekers, trained them and spend a rather long time together as well. They were like a little family, and every one played an important role. If it wasn't for them and their help, Lok was certain that he wouldn't have managed to become the seeker he was today. Same with Sophie and Den.

The rest of the way back passed by rather fast and without any further events. As soon as Sandra had opened the door and noticed the unconscious Scarlet, she was concerned and shocked to say at last. Harrison was also already present and even though he was glad to see his old friends again, he was equally concerned regarding his teammates unconscious state. Lok and Sophie explained what had happened with Den commenting every once in a while, and to say that both Harrison and Sandra were shocked would be an understatement.

At first, Harrison refused to believe it but after some minutes of Den trying to convince him, Zhalia took it on herself to convince him and Harrison knew that Zhalia wouldn't lie to him, about something as important as this as well.

The teens chose to leave Scarlet at the Foundation Headquaters in Ireland and let Metz and Guggenheim decide what to do with her. The two Fears brothers, Sophie, Sara and Lok went to personally bring Scarlet to the HQ while Dante called Metz via the Holotome.

Since it was already night and they had spent most of the day at the museum, Sandra decided to go to sleep while Zhalia stayed home as well, not to keen on going to the HQ just to hand over a traitor, for she herself had once been one herself. It wasn't like the others knew, but for her it would still be quite uncomfortable.

It was around eleven that Dante had finally finished his phone call with Metz. It took an hour to explain everything and settle things with Metz and Guggenheim, the latter causing more commotion than the former about Scarlet's case. Fortunately, since Dante was still more or less a member of the Council, he was able to take part in the emergency council meeting that took place, what cost him another hour.

He decided to take a breather, his mind too occupied with every kind of thoughts but as soon as he wanted to enter the garden, his amber eyes caught sight of her. She was standing in front of the small pond in the garden, eyes closed and expression relaxed as her head was tilted upwards. Her midnight-blue hair was shining beneath the light and the moonbeams caressed her face gently, illuminating her face.

She looked beautiful.

"How long are you going to stand there and watch me?"Came her rather sudden soft yet amused comment, causing Dante to snap out of his little trance. He smirked and shook his head, a small chukle leaving his lips before he made his way to stand next to her. His amber eyes turned upwards as he took in the beautiful night-sky, the chilly air around them making him wonder if she was cold, for she was dressed in nothing but a plain white colored shirt and some shorts.

"What's the verdict?" Zhalia asked after some moments of silence, opening her eyes to look at the majestical moon that was standing high in the night sky as well. Dante's amber eyes hardened and a grueled sigh passed his lips as he remembered the meetings result.

"They're going to block her powers for some time and she will have to stay under someones supervision to ensure that she won't do anything stupid again. Montehue actually offered to watch her." Dante revealed, and Zhalia frowned.

"I see." Zhalia thoughtfully mumbled. She guessed that in the end, the council has made the right decision and she knew that if it wasn't for Dante, the verdict would have been way more worse. Metz alone couldn't alleviate the verdict if the rest of the council disagreed but with Dante's support, the duo seemingly managed to convince the other members of the council. "She isn't bad, just lost."

Dante hummed out of agreement and silence once more fell over them like a warm blanket, the only sound audible the melodic soft noise of the chirping crickets in the night.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Dante asked after some time, and Zhalia turned to look at him with mildly confused hazel eyes. Dante merely held her gaze with his own soft amber ones before he turned to fully face her.

"Hm?"

"Why didn't you tell me about Scarlet if you knew." Dante clarified softly, a hint of hurt in his voice. Sophie and the others seemingly knew of it, but she didn't tell him.

"You already knew and didn't tell me either." Zhalia reminded him softly, and Dante narrowed his eyes. She seemingly figured that it was what he had kept secret from her before, but it wasn't the point and she knew just as well as he did. He kept it a secret because he had to make sure that his source was reliable and thus, didn't want to cause unnecessary drama.

"I wasn't sure about it, whereas you obviously were."

"There was no point in telling you, you wouldn't have believed me without a proof." Zhalia calmly returned, and Dante looked at her with a prominent frown on his face. She really thought that he wouldn't have believed her without a proof?

"I would have." Dante firmly insisted and this time, Zhalia turned to fully look at him. Her expression was indifferent but her eyes were holding the familiar challenging spark. Her eyes caught his and as all the times before, it was as if he could read her by her eyes only. She was lightly angry, exhausted and most of all, frustrated. Her gaze was hard and didn't waver but after some time, her eyes softened.

"And when did you want to tell me that you dicovered that the Spiral Mark is indeed active?"Zhalia questioned softly, and Dante froze. Confusion and both surprise filled his amber eyes for the split of a moment before he sighed. He should have known that it would only be a matter of time until she would find out as well, but he wanted to keep her out of it as long as possible.

"Soon." He confessed, and even though Zhalia knew that it was the truth, she was hurt that he kept it from her nonetheless. She had told him about the possibility of the Spiral mark being active again first and as soon as she found out but now, he had kept his discoveries from her in return. She knew that it was for her sake, but he should have told her nonetheless.

"Dante, I know that you kept it a secret because you didn't want us to worry but you can't always keep us safe by trying to get rid of the problem on your own."Zhalia spoke, her voice calm. He had to realize that by doing so, he would only hurt them even more. What if he were to lose his life just because he tried to safe them on his own? He had already done so once in their fight against the betrayer, and Zhalia wanted to prevent something like this from happening a second time at all costs.

"If that's what's needed to keep the teens safe, to keep _you_ safe, I won't hesitate to do it." Dante firmly returned, his amber eyes shining with determination. Zhalia narrowed her eyes in an instant and let out a frustrated breath.

"If you were to die because of that, what's more than likely, did you even think about how the others would feel, how _I_ would feel?" Zhalia snapped, her patience running thin. Did he really think that if he would manage to get rid of the problem but would die in the process, they would be fine with it and simply take it as it was?

Dante remembered the vision he received from the Legendary titan of Fate a year ago and couldn't help but feel the guilt flood his veins. It was something he had tried to forget ever since that day and even though he managed to do so for some time, it haunted him in the back of his mind ever since.

"Zhalia-" He started, his voice soft but Zhalia shook her head, brows furrowed.

"No Dante, don't. Do you even know how much I worry about you because of that? Ever since me and Montehue discovered the possibility of the Spiral Mark being active, I fear that one day you'll simply disappear and go to take them on on your own. Whenever we go on a mission, I worry that something may happen that will push you to take the blow for one of us. You know how much I care and sometimes, I wish that I wouldn't for that exact reason. But then again, no matter how hard I try, we both know that I won't be able to stop." Zhalia spoke with a frustrated sigh, anger clearly lacing her voice. That recklessness of his is not going to only hurt himself, but also her and he had to start realizing that sometimes, he simply couldn't keep her safe from everything.

Dante's amber eyes softened considerable and it was then that he realized how much she was hurting. She was hurting because of him, because of his reckless behavior and for a moment, he wanted to kick himself. His heart clenched at the pain that her hazel eyes displayed and all of sudden, he felt angry. Not angry at herself, but at himself for having caused her to worry and be in pain even though that was exactly what he didn't want her to feel and tried to keep her away from.

"Let me be selfish then."

With that, Dante grabbed her wrist and pulled her forwards so that she softly collided against his chest and as soon as she tilted her head upwards to shot him a look of confusion, his lips crashed against hers.

Zhalia's eyes widened out of surprise and the blood in her veins froze out of shock. She didn't expect Dante to kiss her, in the middle of their argument as well, but after the shock had worn off she allowed herself to relax.

She closed her eyes with a relenting sigh as she felt his strong arms wrap around her waist to keep her in place whereas he caressed her cheek gently with the palm of his hand. Zhalia then calmed under his touch and felt her heart beat fasten, her lips moving against his ever so slowly.

As soon as Dante had realized that she was indeed kissing him back, he allowed himself to smirk and pulled her closer against him, savoring the feeling of her soft lips against his. God knows how long he wanted to kiss her, how many times he had to refrain from simply walking over to kiss her right there and then but in the end, it was worth the wait.

After some more moments, he felt her pull away to get some air and he leaned his forehead against hers, her lightly swollen lips parted as she inhaled the cool night air to calm her racing heart.

"I'm sick of holding back Zhaal." Dante mumbled, his hot breath caressing her lips as he looked her straight into the eye, amber orbs fileld with seriousness. "We wasted too much time already, allow me to be selfish this one time and ask you to stay with me. Officially, and for good."

Zhalia looked at him with soft hazel eyes, their lips only inches apart from touching again. She sighed once more, and moved to lay a hand on his cheek, her heart pounding painfully against her ribcage. Dante leaned into her touch and looked at her with hazy amber eyes and for the first time, Zhalia noticed that there was something else in his eyes that she had formerly missed.

Love.

She felt her chest growing warm and Zhalia couldn't help but smile at him. It was a genuine smile, a smile Dante had last seen before she left to infiltrate the Blood Spiral and for once, he felt like he had done the right thing. He would do anything in his power to protect that smile, as long as he was breathing.

"Of course I will." She mumbled in return, and Dante didn't waste another moment to press his lips against hers again. He poured all of his current emotions into the kiss. The frustration, the longing and most of all, the love he held for her. She returned the kiss just as eager and for that moment, she felt as if there was nothing to worry about anymore as long as he was with her.

"I love you Zhaal, god I love you." Dante whispered into her ear as he pulled away from the kiss and Zhalia buried her face into the croock of his neck, hiding her bright smile.

"I know." Zhalia mumbled into his shoulder, and felt how Dante tightened his grip on her. "I love you too." She knew that he knew, just like he knew that she knew that he loved her as well, but it felt good to be able able to say it out nonetheless. It felt as if a heavy burden was lifted off of their hearts.

There they were, finally content with their life and savoring the sweet moment, wanting it to last. Unfortunately, they knew that they would have to face a lot of hardships started from tomorrow, especially with the Spiral Mark being active but as for now, they simply enjoyed every second they were able to spend with each other.


	21. Holding on

**A/N:** I can't believe that it took me three weeks to update! I am sorry about that but work was keeping me from updating earlier. I'll do my best to update as fast as I can. As always, thanks for all the reviews and if you liked this chapter, tell me by leaving a **review**! Enjoy:)

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CHAPTER 21

The Huntik team was currently having breakfast. Harrison joined them earlier this morning and Sandra invited him to stay for breakfast, what he did without needing to be told twice.

"So, what happens to Scarlet?" Sandra inquired curiously, buttering her toast as she looked at the Huntik team who in return fell into an uncomfortable silence.

They exchanged knowing glances and after figuring that none of them would speak up, Dante offered Sandra a small smile.

"Her powers are going to get blocked for some time and Montehue will watch her in case she tries to contact the organization or they try to pay her back for failing her mission." Dante calmly explained, and Sandra gave him a nod of understanding. Her eyes held a hint of sadness since she was quite fond of the ginger-head, but she was glad that she would be under Montehues supervision and it was nothing permanent.

"I still can't believe that she tried to kill Zhaal." Harrison muttered with a grimace and Den gave his brother a nod of agreement.

"I know right?" Den spoke, taking a sip of his orange juice. "Then again, we all knew that Scarlet wasn't too fond of her. She always had that strange glint in her eyes whenever she saw-" He started, but a kick from Sophie who sat next to him caused him to shut his mouth in an instant. He covered up his wince by clearing his throat and after shooting his teammate a glare, he bit his tongue to refrain from cursing out loud.

"She was my teammate, even if for a short period of time only. I would have never thought that she would do something like that." Harrison sighed, and Lok gave him a pat on the shoulder out of understanding.

"Same here. I still can't believe that my own __babysitter__ would turn out to become my opponent once." Lok grimly said, earning a look of sympathy from the others. They knew that Lok would have it hardest and yet it was surprising to see how well Lok was taking it. He didn't try to avoid talking of her and was quite calm and collected whenever they did as well.

"That's something you read in books or see on TV only." Den snorted, taking a bite from his apple. Dante's amber eyes twinkled in amusement as he leaned back in his seat. "We would make a great TV-Series." He agreed, causing Zhalia to roll her eyes with a small smirk. Lok gave him an eager nod out of agreement, obviously thinking the same and Sophie joined Zhalia by sighing, one word going through both their minds.

 _Boys_.

The small group then fell into a comfortable silence, each one of them occupied by their own thoughts. Zhalia leaned back in her seat and crossed one leg over the other, lifting the mug that was filled with the brown hot liquid and taking a sip of it.

After her and Dante's little talk yesterday, the two of them spend some more time in the gardens simply enjoying each others presence and talking about everything that came into their mind. It was calming and nice to get the opportunity to simply enjoy each others company without having to worry about anything and after that, they went back into their own rooms to catch some sleep.

She heard Sara and Sophie enter the room around ten minutes later, the two girls slumping tiredly down onto the bed seemingly after they changed into their sleeping clothes.

Zhalia's hazel eyes fell onto her protegee who sat at the end of the table, the brunette female not having uttered a single word ever since they woke up. Usually, she wouldn't have paid it a second thought because Sara never was one to talk much in the first place but this time, something seemed off.

As if on cue, Zhalia caught Sara's gaze with her own one and now that Zhalia was able to take a good look at her, she was surprised at what she saw.

Sara looked beyond exhausted.

Confusion and mild surprise shimmered in her brown orbs and for a moment, it seemed as if a silent message was exchanged between the two before Zhalia gave her a small nod.

Deciding not to waste anymore time, Sara rose from her seat, earning curious glances from the others.

The female turned to look at Mrs. Lambert and offered her a smile that Zhalia noted didn't quite reach her blue orbs.

"Thanks for the food ." She politely thanked Lok's mother at which the blonde merely gave her a lightly confused glance.

"Are you sure that you don't want to eat some more? You barely touched your food dear." Sandra pointed out, her expression holding obvious concern. Sara tried her best to keep the smile fixed on her lips as she shook her head lightly, pushing a brown lock behind her ear.

"I'm not hungry." Sara shrugged lightly before she turned her head to look directly at Zhalia, her smile wavering lightly. "I'll wait for you in the garden."

With that, she gave the Huntik team and Harrison one last smile before she left the room without another word, leaving behind a confused team.

Silence engulfed them and while Dante shot Zhalia and questioning look, she merely shook her head lightly before she placed her now empty mug onto the table.

"Well then, I'll take my leave as well." Zhalia informed them, standing up as well. Giving them a small nod as a parting gesture, the bluenette then followed Sara outside, not sparing the others a second glance.

Zhalia instantly made her way to the garden and just as expected, Sara was already there, standing in front of the lake where Zhalia herself had been standing yesterday.

The sky was gray and small raindrops were already falling from the sky and in comparison to the days before, it was rather cold as well but it seemed as if Sara didn't mind.

"Something happened." It wasn't a question but a statement and Zhalia noticed the way Sara's shoulders suddenly slumped. The seeker then moved to stand a step behind Sara and felt how the cold water droplets were hitting her caramel colored skin, the chilly air around them causing goosebumps to appear on her skin.

"Yes." Sara confirmed, a sigh escaping her lips as she turned around to face Zhalia. As soon as it did, Zhalia noticed, unlike before, just how tired Sara was. Dark circles were under her eyes and her blue orbs suddenly seemed rather dull in comparison to before, causing Zhalia to wonder just what was going through her mind.

"I must look like a mess." Sara managed to quirk a small smile at Zhalia's blank face and shook her head at herself. "It's just that I have spent the entire night awake-thinking."

Zhalia narrowed her eyes at this but else remained silent, showing Sara that she was listening. She wouldn't ask what exactly was bothering her and would give her the time she needed in order to fully trust them so that she would share her worries with them. They knew each other for a couple of days only and just because they were on a team now, it didn't mean that she would have to share all of her worries or darkest secrets with them.

"I want you to attack me."

At that, Zhalia actually lifted her perfectly shaped brows. Now she was actually curious, what was a rarity itself.

At Zhalia's seemingly confused expression, Sara bit the inside of her cheeks and dropped her arms on her side, her fists balled.

"After what happened at the castle and yesterday at the museum, I realized that I need to know how to defend myself from direct attacks or danger. I want you to directly attack me because I would rather get hurt by my own mentor during our training sessions than by some suits that will get the satisfaction of having hit me." She calmly explained, her eyes fixed on Zhalia and just then did Zhalia notice just how desperate and frustrated Sara looked.

A thunder broke through the silence that engulfed them and the rain began to fall harder, causing them to get wetter by every second that they spend standing in the rain.

Zhalia actually considered Sara's words and for a moment, couldn't help but feel like she had underestimated Sara. From the outside she seemed to be someone who didn't take others words to heart and yet, Zhalia knew that the mission at the castle was only a small part of whatever caused her to grow this desperate.

She wanted to grow stronger and that was when Zhalia realized just what Sara meant by that.

"You think that you are a burden to us." She whispered in realization, her eyes softening as she took in the way Sara suddenly tensed, only confirming Zhalia's suspicion.

"I don't think so Zhalia, I _know_ so. That's why I want to become stronger, so that I won't have to rely on others anymore." Sara returned, her voice hard as she lifted her eyes to meet Zhalia's gaze. Her icy blue eyes were shining in the darkness that surrounded them and by now, her hair was wet and clothes were drenched, sticking onto her like a second skin.

"Relying on others isn't a bad thing, Sara. It's their support that will make you stronger." Zhalia calmly returned, and Sara instantly knew that Zhalia was speaking out of experience. Now that she knew of Zhalia's background, it was easier to understand the raven-haired female and somehow, she felt that they were more similar than she had originally expected them to be.

"I don't want to be a burden anymore, Zhalia." Sara eventually whispered, her expression holding sole exhaustion and for a moment, Zhalia was able to see just how emotionally damaged Sara actually was. Something in her past had caused her to close up, to think that relying on others was something that only brought pain and that was when she realized just how little she actually knew of Sara.

She was lost, just like Zhalia once was but this time, Zhalia would help her to find the right path so that she wouldn't do the same mistakes that she did all these years ago.

"I wouldn't have agreed to be your mentor if I would consider you a burden or weak Sara. You are in this team for a reason just like the others and I don't regret having agreed to teach you, keep that in mind." Zhalia spoke, her expression stern. Every word she said was the truth, she had no reason to lie to her. Why would she consider the girl that saved her two days ago a burden or useless?

Sara remained silent for some more moments before a gruel sigh passed her lips, her fists having fallen loose. "Thank you Zhalia, for everything." She mumbled, and Zhalia allowed herself to smile out of satisfaction.

"No need to thank me for the truth. Now, let's go inside before the others decide to leave without us." Zhalia breathed and Sara took in their drenched figures with a wince.

"Good idea." Sara agreed with a nod and together, the two of them went back inside. They made their way upstairs and back into the room they shared with Sophie just to find said girl already there, waiting for them.

As soon as the door opened, Sophie turned to face them with a glare.

"What took you so long?" Sophie asked but as soon as she noticed their drenched appearances her emerald eyes widened. "You two are soaked!"

Zhalia rolled her eyes as she closed the door behind them and walked to her suitcase to get a change of clothing. "Thanks for pointing out the obvious, princess."

Sophie narrowed her eyes and was ready to fire back but a knock on the door caused her to pause.

"Guys? Dante wanted me to tell you to get ready. We'll leave in twenty minutes." Came Loks muffled voice from the other side of the door.

"Alright, we'll be ready by then." Sophie swiftly assured him and after some moments of silence heard the soft sound of footsteps, indicating that Lok must have left.

Sophie then moved to pack her belongings into her suitcase while Zhalia and Sara did the same after they changed into their usual clothes. In the end, they managed to get downstairs just in time to see how Lok was hugging his mother goodbye, Harrison doing the same with Den whereas Dante was nowhere in sight.

"Need help with your stuff?" Lok asked as he let go of his mother, not even giving the others a time to reply as he went up the stairs to grab Sophies suitcase.

His girlfriend threw him a grateful smile whereas Zhalia rolled her eyes and walked down the stairs, followed by Sara whose eyes were locked on the ground.

"Oh thanks for asking Lok, but me and Sara are doing just fine so why don't you go and help Sophie instead? She would surely appreciate it." Zhalia muttered, causing Lok to give her a sheepish smile as he rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand.

"Where is Dante?" Sophie inquired upon noticing their mentors absence, looking at the others in question.

"I'm right here." Dantes familiar voice sounded from behind them. He was walking down the stairs, dressed in his usual attire and was holding a backpack.

"Speaking of the devil." Zhalia muttered under her breath but of course, the comment didn't escape Dante's keen hearing.

He looked at her with an eyebrow lifted, his trademark smirk tugging at the corner of his lips as his amber eyes twinkled at her words. She knew that look, and it never meant anything good.

As soon as he reached the bottom of the stairs, he moved to stand next to her and wrapped an arm around her waist, causing her to stiffen in an instant.

Oh no he didn't.

His smirk turned into a smile as he looked at Sandra and noticed the way the others eyes widened considerably out of the corner of his eyes. They were obviously surprised upon seeing the gesture whereas Zhalia wanted to do nothing more than to punch him for doing so.

"In the name of the team I want to thank you for your hospitality Sandra, we appreciate it. Please remember that you and Cathy are always welcomed to visit us in Venice." Dante spoke, and Sandra eyes were filled with unshed tears. She swiftly wiped her eyes, sad to see how a part of her family would once again leave and returned Dante's smile with her own.

"You are welcomed to visit me anytime you are free. I hope that you are going to have a safe trip, tell me as soon as you reached Venice so that I can rest assured, alright?" She spoke with a wavering smile and Dante gave her a brief not in return.

"Of course." He assured her, tightening his hold on Zhalia who tried her best to remain indifferent about it. He was teasing her and she knew it. That was exactly why she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of knowing that he had gotten under her skin, even though he obviously did.

"Well then, let's go home team." Dante told the others with a smile and even though Lok took his time, they eventually managed to get to the front door.

Zhalia soon found herself getting pulled away from Dante and right into a familiar pair of arms that held her tightly, brown hair entering her vision.

"I'll miss you Zhalia." Harrison spoke, the sadness that laced his voice causing her heart to clench. Here he was, the boy that she had tried to save during her time at the Blood Spiral , the boy that had grown on her like a little brother just like a little brother.

She briefly returned the hug before she pulled away and offered him a smile, her eyes reflecting the sadness his eyes displayed.

"We'll see each other soon." Zhalia assured him and earned a nod from the brunette as he let go of her, albeit reluctant.

Zhalia then noticed the way Sara was getting hugged by Lok's mother out of the corner of her eyes, the blonde female almost squeezing the last bit of air out of the poor girl.

"Come back soon, you hear me?" Sandra whispered as she let go of her, and Sara gave her a firm nod in return. That was enough for Sandra to finally let go of her and while Sophie exchanged her goodbyes with Sandra, Harrison gave Sara a smile and stretched his hand out towards her.

"It was nice to meet you Sara." He said with a smile that the brown haired female returned without any hesitation.

"Likewise Harrison."

Harrison brightened at that before he let go of her slim hand. After some more moments of exchanging their farewells, the Huntik team was finally able to tear themselves away from the Lambert household and made their way back to the airport.

"Guys did you notice the way Dante laid his arm around Zhalia waist?" Lok whispered excitedly as he walking between Sophie and Den. Sara was walking next to Sophie at the far end while Dante and Zhalia were in front of them, keeping their distance so it was safe for them to talk, or so they thought.

"We are not blind Lok." Den commented with a smirk, causing Lok to pout at his friend and protégée.

"It was only a matter of time." Sophie commented with a satisfied sigh. "Do you think that they made up while we were gone?"

Lok rubbed his chin. "Probably." He spoke after a while, his eyes brightening up as the realization hit him . "So operation Zhante did work after all!"

Sara smiled at Loks enthusiasm whereas Sophie rolled her eyes and Den snorted.

"The question now is whether they finally decided to officially be together or not." Den reminded them, a frown on his face. "I mean just because they made up , it doesn't mean that they are together. Zhalia could have only forgiven him for leaving us to, it doesn't mean that they made up as in became a couple." He pointed out.

Lok grimaced as he realized that Den was right. "Oh man." He sighed. "We sound like their children who try to get them back together after a bad break up or worse, a divorce." Lok commented with a snort and Sophie actually chuckled at that.

A comfortable silence engulfed the four of them but Lok, being the person to prefer chatting to walking in silence, spoke up.

"Sara, are you alright? You are awfully quiet today." Lok commented with a concerned frown and Sara instantly shook her head, eyes fixed on the road ahead of them.

"I am just a bit tired, I didn't get to sleep a lot last night that's all." She assured him and even though Lok and especially Sophie didn't believe her, they knew better than to push the matter.

Den, however, knew exactly what was bothering her and couldn't help but feel the guilt nagging at him. Sara had avoided him ever since the incident at the museum and whenever he tried to talk to her, she completely ignored his presence. Yesterday when they had gone to leave Scarlet at the Foundation HQ she hadn't uttered a single word or reacted to any of Den's usual Provocations that managed to get her mad all the times before.

Den Fears never was one to feel guilty. So why was it that it bothered him that she ignored him? He would rather have her hate him and insult him than ignore him for god knows how long.

But if she would ignore him, it would be fine with him.

Two could play this game and Den always won.

 _Venice_

 _10PM_

The team arrived at the airport not too long ago and parted ways. Dante went back to his mansion, Sophie and Lok took Sara to the Casterwill mansion and Den and Zhalia returned to the apartment they shared.

It was already night and the usually busy streets of Venice were deserted, causing a soothing silence to engulf the usually lively city. Zhalia and Den were on their way back home, both of them quite tired after the long flight from Ireland back to Venice. One would think that after all these flights they would get used to it, but it was quite the opposite actually.

As soon as their apartment came into sight, Den let out a delighted sigh. "Home sweet home." He breathed, his dark eyes visibly brightening as they were gradually closing in on the familiar building.

Zhalia gave him a nod out of agreement, just as relieved as he was. Of curse their little so called vacation was nice, but too many things happened at once. Also, it wasn't like facing death was a pleasant experience no matter how many times you already did face it before already. That simply was something that you could never get used to it.

They were standing in front of the apartment and Zhalia opened the familiar door without any troubles. As soon as they stepped inside, the lights went on and Den instantly grabbed their suitcases and threw them into the next corner, the motion causing a loud thud to echo through the silent room.

Zhalia rolled her eyes with a small smile and closed the door behind her while Den was already making his way to his room.

"Already going to bed?" Zhalia commented as she slumped down onto the couch, her eyes fixed on Den's exhausted form that was leaning against the doorway.

"Yup." He nodded, shooting her a smile. "See you in the morning Zhalia." With that, he turned around and disappeared into the dark corridor that lead to their rooms, leaving Zhalia on her own.

She let out a breath and leaned her head against the armrest of the couch, the pounding that the headache caused only growing worse. The silence of the apartment was a welcoming change and Zhalia was finally able to actually relax for once. Her entire body was aching and the pain in her leg was still lightly bothering her but she assumed that after one more healing session it should be gone for good.

The darkness was a welcomed change for her eyes and just as Zhalia was about to doze off right there and then, she stiffened.

Her ears picked up a sound that her keen ears almost didn't manage to pick up. It was a sound that was all too familiar to her ears and for a moment, she felt her heart clench painfully.

She opened her eyes and as soon as she did, her eyes widened at the sight that greeted her. On the ceiling of their apartment right above her was a metallic device graced with all kind of buttons and wires, red numbers displaying a sort of countdown.

A bomb.

The countdown was already at 11 seconds and as soon as the realization that she would only have 14 seconds left to get herself and Den out of there fully sunk in, she had only eight seconds left.

"Den!" She called at the top of her lungs, using shadow speed to fasten her pace. Her heart as hammering hard against her rib cage as she rounded a corner and was greeted by the sight of the closed door of Den's room.

The beeping sound was still clear in her mind and she didn't waste any second to throw her teammates door open. Den was already standing in the middle of the room, dressed in a plain white shirt and some sweatpants, throwing her a confused look. He had heard her calling his name just as he was about to lay down on his bed and at the urgent look that filled her eyes he froze.

"Zhalia, what-"

He was not able to finish voicing his question for Zhalia had already grabbed his shoulders tightly, causing them to stumble some steps backwards.

All of sudden, the sound of an explosion followed and all that filled his wide brown eyes was a mixture of bright red and orange before everything turned black.

X

Dante had just opened the door of his mansion when the loud beeping sound of Television in the living room reached his ears. An exhausted eyes passed his lips as he slowly made his way into the living room, thinking that it was either Metz or Guggenheim who wanted to know when the mission report would be done.

Dante tossed his backpack onto the armchair of his room and looked at the TV just to notice that it wasn't it that was the source for the beeping sound. He blindly reached into the bag of his yellow coat and pulled out his cellphone. It was beeping in an almost aggressive manner and as soon as Dante took a look at the unfamiliar number, he felt something unsettling tugging in his chest.

Pushing the green button, he accepted the call and put the cellphone on his ear.

"Vale." He uttered and the first thing he noticed was the sound of of many people talking at once, causing him to frown out of confusion.

"Mr. Vale, thank goodness you picked up!" Came a female voice from the other end of the line, the relief in her voice indicating that something must have happened. "My name is Emily Jones and I am from the paramedical department of the Foundation HQ in Venice." She introduced herself, and Dante froze.

Why would the paramedical department of the HQ call him? Something must have happened at the HQ what would explain the commotion in the background but why they would call him instead of Metz was a mystery to him that only caused his worries to increase.

"What can I do for you, Miss Jones?" Dante politely asked, trying to concentrate on her voice only and not on the countless other voices that were all calling and talking to each other in the background. He made out the words 'too much blood.' and some other commands that someone shouted at the others what only worsened the unsettling feeling in his gut.

"I need you to come to the HQ as soon as possible." She rushed in a breath, the urgency in her voice clearly audible. "It's about Den Fears and Zhalia Moon."

Dante felt his amber eyes widen for the split of a second before they narrowed into a pair of dangerous slits.

"I'll be right there." He returned before the line went dead. He out his phone back into the pocket of his coat and without wasting another second, he darted out of the door.

Fortunately, it was night so he was easily able to use Hyperstride and Nimblefire in order to jump from rooftop to rooftop without getting noticed. The chilly night air caused him to sober up in an instant and all that he could think of at the moment was that Zhalia and Den were injured.

They were _hurt._

He felt his heart clench tightly as he pushed all energy that he had left into running faster, the sound of the medics urgent plea of him to hurry only worrying him even further.

He reached the Foundation Headquarters within the next two minutes and as soon as he did, he threw the doors open. His breathing was rushed and his amber eyes was scanning for the staircase as he passed by a series of seekers that threw him looks out of pity and sympathy, knowing exactly why he was there.

Dante wasted no time and run up the flight of stairs, throwing open the next glass door that greeted him. The smell of sanitizer was hanging thick in the air and as soon as he entered the white corridors, he saw a nurse rushing past him towards somewhere in the right part of the hallway.

He swiftly caught up with her and grabbed her upper arm in order to prevent her from walking any further.

"Mister Vale?" She inquired and at his nod, her shoulders slumped out of relief. "Follow me." She instructed and swiftly continued to sprint down the corridor, Dante following her like a shadow. It didn't take them long to reach their destination and as soon as they rounded a corner, Dante understood why there was such a commotion. The entire hallway was filled with medics and nurses that were rushing from one place to another, yelling commands and instructions to each other but that was not what caught Dante's attention.

It was the room at the end of the hallway that seemed to be the cause for it. He instantly made his way past the nurse who had originally lead him there and instantly headed for the closed white door, the adrenaline that was pumping through his veins echoing loudly in his ears and leaving him deaf to the world.

He forcefully pushed the door open and allowed his amber eyes to take in the scene that greeted him. In the middle of the room there were two beds, nurses and doctors surrounding it so that he was unable to pick up his team members just yet.

The woman who was seemingly in charge of the place instantly recognized Dante and her eyes were filled with relief upon seeing him.

"Mr. Vale, we need your help." She spoke, her voice lightly muffled due to her mouthpiece. Dante gave her a curt nod and walked over to stand next to her, his heart clenching more and more with every step he was taking.

It was when he came to a halt that his amber eyes fell onto the two people on the bed and for a moment, he felt his entire world stopping.

The one they were currently treating was Zhalia. She was unconscious and covered in dirt, her clothes were ripped at some parts and her midnight blue hair a sprawled mess. Minor cuts and bruises graced her face and she was bleeding from her right side while the nurses were trying to stop it.

"Zhaal." He whispered in disbelief, his expression soft while his eyes were filled with sheer worry. He reached out to brush a strand of her hair away from her face with a shaky hand, his hand caressing her cheek gently.

It was when a muffled growl reached his ears that his head snapped to the person next to her. To say that Dante was surprised at the sight would be an understatement and it was then that he understood why they had called him.

Den's blood-shot eyes were open wide and an oxygen mask was covering his mouth. His face was just as bruised as Zhalia's and his lip was bleeding just like his right arm what didn't stop him from struggling against the nurses grip though.

They were trying to hold him down and to calm him but Den refused to listen and struggled against their hold with all his might, growls and huffs out of frustration leaving his lips.

"Let me go!" He called, shaking off the nurse that tried to get a hold of his upper arm. The nurse gave Dante a helpless look and the auburn haired seeker instantly moved to stand next to Den.

"He is under shock. A rib is cracked and if he moves too much it may scrape some vital organs in his body. He has to stay calm so that we can treat him properly." The nurse that was treating Zhalia swiftly explained, putting some more pressure onto Zhalia's bleeding. Dante gave her a nod and placed a hand on Den's chest, pushing the boy down.

Den was about to shake Dante off but as soon as his dark eyes found Dante's amber ones, recognition flashed in his eyes.

"Dante?" He inquired in a whisper, allowing Dante to push him back into a laying position, his mentor giving him a nod. He offered him a small smile and signalized the nurse next to him to proceed by anesthetizing him. She gave him a nod and disappeared for some moment to retrieve the necessary things and Dante gazed down at the young boy with concerned eyes.

"Den, I need you to calm down. It's going to be alright but you need to stay calm." Dante sternly told the brown haired boy, noticing the way he was shaking.

"Zhalia." Den suddenly breathed, his eyes wide again as he began to struggle once more. "Zhalia, how is she?" He breathed in concern, his wide eyes looking at Dante in panic.

The auburn haired seeker kept his palm firmly placed against Den's firm chest and glanced over at the bluenette with soft eyes. He pursed his lips as he caught glimpse of her pale face and returned his gaze to Den who was looking expectantly at him.

"She'll be fine. They're currently treating her but she is out of danger." Dante calmly returned, his eyes softening as he took in the way Den's expression calmed upon hearing his words. The nurse then returned and injected the medicine into the IV and after some moments passed, Dante was able to see Den trying to fight the drowsiness that dared to take over his system.

"Dante." Den breathed, inhaling sharply as he grabbed Dante's wrist tightly. "I saw her at the apartment- she is not fine. Please, you have to save her. " He pleaded in a broken whisper before his grip loosened and the anesthesia took over. His eyes fluttered close and Dante took in the way Den's expression relaxed. Dante gave the boys hand a small squeeze and looked back at Zhalia who was growing paler with every second that ticked by, his heart clenching painfully.

"Don't worry," He whispered, his amber eyes filled with sheer determination as he turned to look back at Den's unconscious form.

"I won't let her go."


	22. Awakening

**A/N:** Thanks for the awesome feedback! I am glad that you liked it so far:) I hope that you'll enjoy this chapter and as always, please leave a review! They're the source of my motivation;)

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CHAPTER 22

Dante was pacing from left to right, impatiently waiting for any news from the nurses. As soon as Den was unconscious they refused to let him stay inside for any longer and the mere thought of not knowing what happened or what will happen to the two was slowly killing him from the inside.

He was exhausted, concerned and angry. Exhausted because it was already four in the morning and he didn't get a wink of sleep out of fear that if he would do so, he would miss something. Concerned because two members of his team were seriously injured and angry because someone dared to attack his team.

Dante then forced himself to slump down into one of the chairs next to the door of the room that Zhalia and Den were currently getting treated in, rubbing his temples out of frustration. He had already called LeBlanche to inform him of what happened and they both agreed that it would be best to tell the others about the incident at breakfast so that they would be fully awake and have a filled stomach.

News like this aren't going to cope well on an empty stomach, Dante was forced to experience it first hand and it was anything but pleasant.

After another painfully long hour of waiting, the doors opened to reveal a in blood covered nurse, the same one that Dante recognized as the one that was in charge of them. The red-head took of her mouthpiece and as soon as she spotted Dante on the seat, offered him a small smile.

The auburn haired seeker instantly jumped onto his feet as he saw the nurse, causing her to shake her head upon seeing that he still waited for them and refused to return back home.

"Mister Vale, I thought that you would be home by now." She commented with an amused smile, gray eyes glistening with interest. She was an elderly woman- seemingly in her early forties and judging by the way she talked he assumed that she was working in this field for quite some time already.

"I won't go home while two members of my team are in such a critical condition." Dante firmly returned, his shoulders tense. "Not to mention that I wouldn't be able to get some sleep in the first place." He muttered with a sigh, causing the elderly nurse to chuckle lightly.

"There is no need to worry Mister Vale, you got quite some fighters in your team. Whereas Den was not in such a critical condition to begin with, we still managed to patch him up so that he should recover in the next week. He just has to undergo two healing sessions and after that he should be just as healthy as he was before." The nurse assured him with a pat on his upper arm, causing Dante to exhale a breath out of relief. It was good to hear that at least one of them would recover fast and wasn't too badly injured but as soon as his thoughts drifted to Zhalia, he instantly tensed.

"What about Zhalia?" He inquired with his amber eyes shining with concern.

The nurse smiled. "Oh Miss Moon?" She asked, eyes brightening as she waved a hand in a nonchalant matter. "She'll be fine as well. I have to admit that at first, it seemed quite worrisome. A couple of ribs were broken and her spiral column was injured at one part as well but that was nothing Everheal and a surgery couldn't take care of."

Dante let out the enormous sigh he had been holding and smiled out of relief, giving the nurse a grateful glance. "Thank you, I appreciate the effort you and the others have put into healing the two of them." He spoke, his expression displaying the relief he was currently feeling.

The nurse put of her bloody gloves and threw them into the nearby trash, a sigh of content leaving her lips as she turned to look at Dante with a knowing smile.

"I know how painful it is to see your loved ones hurt." She commented with a sigh. "And don't think I didn't notice the way you looked at her-so the rumors are seemingly true. Zhalia Moon managed to capture Dante's Vale heart, eh?" She asked, a teasing glint entering her eyes as she noticed Dante lifting an eyebrow.

"There are rumors?" Dante asked, clearly amused by her words. He knew that his and Zhalia's feelings towards each other were quite obvious and yet he was still surprised.

The nurse smirked. "Well actually there is a betting pot as to when the two of you are going to get together and after today I think that I'm going to change my bet and choose an earlier date. That is, if you aren't together already." She tapped her finger on her chin in a thinking motion and for a moment, Dante was too stunned to actually say something.

They were _betting_ as to when they would get together?

He was actually tempted to simply walk out and leave in order for them to get the wrong impression but of course, he wouldn't do such a thing.

"And who started this?" Dante managed to ask after some moments of silence, already having someone in mind.

"Montehue Lockwood." The nurse answered without hesitating and Dante couldn't help but huff out of amusement. Figures that his old friend and rival would start a ridiculous thing such as this one but that people were actually joining in was something beyond Dante's understanding.

"Anyways, your team mates are going to get moved into another room in some minutes. If you want to stay and ensure yourself that they are actually stable, you are free to stay. If not, I will tell a medic to call you as soon as they wake up, what probably won't happen before tomorrow morning, earliest." The nurse informed him and Dante didn't need to think twice about his decision.

"I'll stay." He replied in a breath and she gave him a firm nod in return.

"Alright, I'll inform the others then. We'll see each other tomorrow then Mister Vale, my husband is probably going to throw a tantrum for me leaving him to watch the kids on his own." She muttered with a sigh and Dante smiled out of amusement, giving her a brief nod before the nurse walked back inside, giving Dante one last assuring smile.

For the first time this night, Dante felt hope bloom in his chest. The former aching of his heart considerably eased and was instead replaced by pure relief upon hearing that the two of them would be fine.

Now, all he had to do was wait until they would wake up.

 _Three hours later_

 _Foundation HQ, Venice_

Dante hadn't moved in the past three hours. Ever since they had moved Zhalia and Den into an empty room, he pulled a chair next to Zhalia's bed and gently took her petite hand into his, rubbing soft circles on the back of her hand and occasionally glancing at Den in order to ensure that he was alright.

He was the first one to wake up exactly two hours after his talk with the nurse and even though he was only barely conscious, he was more than relieved to see that Dante had stayed. He was unable to talk much and Dante decided to leave him to rest for as long as he could, not wanting to stress the brunette too much by asking him what happened.

He then drifted back into unconsciousness, the beeping sound of the little black screen that monitored Zhalia's heartbeat the only sound that broke the deafening silence of the room.

Dante brushed Zhalia's cheek with the back of his hand affectionately, mentally blaming himself for not having taken better care of her.

Zhalia was the target of both the organization and the Blood Spiral, it was only a matter of time until she would have gotten attacked by them. On top of that, they knew that in order to get to Dante, they would only have to hurt her.

She was his weakness.

That's exactly why Dante didn't want a team in the beginning. He knew that once they would form an emotional bond like they have done now, they may get hurt because people would try to get back at him for something he had done that they didn't approve of.

It was painful to watch the people he loved the most get hurt while there was nothing he could do to stop them beforehand.

It was one hour after Den fell unconscious again that he suddenly felt the bluenette stiffen under his touch. His surprised amber eyes turned to gaze at her face while he squeezed her hand gently, inwardly hoping that she would wake up.

After some more moments of expectantly looking at Zhalia in hope of getting a sign of her waking up, a low groan escaped her lips as her eyes fluttered open to reveal a pair of confused and exhausted eyes.

A wave of relief covered him like a warm blanket and as soon as her eyes adjusted to the lightning of the room, her hazel eyes fell onto his amber ones.

"Dante?" She rasped out, wincing at the soreness of her throat. Dante gave her a small smile and moved to stand next to her, taking the glass with water that stood next to the bed and placed it against her lips.

"Drink this, it'll numb the pain." He gently mumbled and Zhalia did as told in an instant, gulping down the liquid until the very last drop. The bitter taste of medicine filled her mouth and Dante placed the now empty glass back to it's former place before returning his eyes to Zhalia.

She had closed her eyes for a moment and furrowed her brows as she noticed that she was too sore to even move an inch.

As soon as she opened her eyes again, her eyes instantly found Dante's concerned ones and she couldn't help but feel the tugging at her heart.

"How are you feeling Zhaal?" Dante softly inquired, carefully placing a hand on her forehead. A small breath escaped her lips as she squeezed his hand that he refused to let go of just yet.

"Sore." She admitted in a whisper, still not fully trusting her voice not to break. Her throat was still quite damaged and ached lightly but she was sure that after some time the pain would fade.

Dante hummed in return and sat back down on the chair next to her so that they were on eye-level.

"You gave me quite a scare, you know that?" Dante commented after some moments of silence that passed between the two of them, the ghost of a smile appearing on his lips.

Zhalia returned his smile as best as she could. "Sorry about that, it's not like I expected my apartment to get blown up." She apologized in a sarcastic matter that caused Dante to sober up in an instant.

His grip on her hand tightened lightly as if he was afraid that if he would let go, she would disappear. "Zhaal." He whispered her name, amber eyes shining with concern. "Can you tell me what happened?"

Zhalia's expression visibly softened as she took in his concerned expression and she pursed her lips upon thinking back. It was only then that she remembered Den and her eyes instantly moved to look to the other side in order to look for Den in light panic, her entire body tense. As soon as her hazel eyes caught sight of him, she calmed and relaxed once more, relieved to see that he was seemingly unharmed.

"Is he alright?" She asked as she caught Dante's gaze once more who in return gave her a brief nod. Zhalia breathed a sigh out of relief at that and closed her eyes for a moment.

"We entered the apartment around twenty minutes after we have left the airport." She reluctantly started, trying her best to remember what happened. "Nothing seemed to be off and while Den made his way to his room, I went to lay down on the couch. It was then that I heard a beeping noise and as soon as I opened my eyes I was greeted by the sight of a bomb sticking on the ceiling of the living room. Quite a gift they left, huh?" Zhalia commented with dry humor and Dante shook his head at her comment, glad to see that she was able to joke even in a situation such as this one.

"Well as soon as I realized that it was indeed a bomb, I had only 8 seconds left to get me and Den out of there. I made my way to Den's room as fast as I could and reached him just as the bomb went off. I managed to use Thoughtspecter just in time to teleport us to the HQ but by then we already got injured by the explosion." She grimly told him, remembering the blinding pain that overcame her as she shielded Den's body with her own one before she teleported them away from there.

Silence engulfed the two and Dante squeezed her hand in a reassuring matter, a sigh escaping his lips.

"I am proud of you Zhaal." He mumbled and she shot him a weak smile in return, hazel eyes filled with something close to gratefulness. This was one of the rare times when they could simply be themselves around each other and speak what they thought and felt without having to worry about others listening in on them. It was relaxing and very much needed, that was for sure.

"You know, for a moment I really thought that they got us there." Zhalia admitted with a sigh, her smile fading into a frown. "I am not surprised that they found out where we live though. I am more surprised that they managed to get in and place the bomb there in the first place without leaving any trace."

Dante was now frowning as well, deep in thought. Zhalia was an excellent seeker and would have noticed if someone broke into her and Den's apartment especially if they placed a bomb there as well. The mere fact that they managed to get inside, install the bomb and disappear without leaving a trace was reason enough for him to worry since Zhalia kept her apartment locked with both a small barrier from the inside and number lock.

If they weren't even safe in their own homes anymore, where would they be?"

"You're going to move in with me again." Dante spoke after some moments of silence and Zhalia furrowed her brows, clearly about to object. The auburn haired seeker however was faster and thus, spoke up before she was able to do so.

"I already talked to Den and he agrees that it would be the best for you two. He himself is going to move to the Casterwill mansion so that the teens can keep an eye on each other while I keep an eye on you. If anyone decides to attack, we aren't on our own." He elaborated, his stern gaze telling her that he wouldn't allow any objections with her. In order to stay safe the team would have to stay close so that in case someone decided to attack they wouldn't be alone. Since Zhalia and Den just got attacked he doubted that they would try something within the next days, what would give Zhalia the time needed for her to recover.

And even if they did attack, he would be there so there was no reason to worry at all. The two of them were the best seekers the Foundation had and the together the teens were unbreakable and indestructible as well.

"I don't have a say in this now do I?" Zhalia muttered with a sigh and Dante smirked, the teasing glint back in his amber eyes.

"Glad you realize that." He said, giving her hand a squeeze before he brushed a strand of her midnight blue hair behind her ear. "Now rest, you need it. Lok, Sophie and Sara are going to visit in some hours and I don't want them to talk to a moody and tired Zhaal that's going to rip their head off for being too noisy." Dante chuckled lightly, causing Zhalia to roll her eyes with a small smile.

"Way to exaggerate Vale." Zhalia commented dryly, averting her eyes from him so that he wouldn't pick up the way her dark eyes brightened at his comment.

"Sleep now." Dante whispered, caressing her cheek gently. "I'll be right here when you wake up."

Zhalia knew that there was no point in telling him to leave since he wouldn't either way and thus, gave him a weary nod before she closed her eyes, inwardly grateful for his presence.

Things were starting to get more serious. The organization started to meddle with their business again, someone blew up her and Den's apartment and on top of that, the Spiral Mark is active again.

The future was holding a lot of pain that was easily able to be foreseen. The happy ending of the Huntik team was at stake and this time, it seemed like it would be a fight out of which they wouldn't get out too easily.

But they managed a couple of things that seemed impossible before already and thus, there was still hope for them.

With that thought, the bluenette finally drifted off into a dark, dreamless slumber.

X

"Where are they!?"

The yell of a rather familiar voice echoed through the hallway of the medical floor and Dante sighed as he glanced at his watch.

It was eleven in the morning and even though he could have imagined things due to his lack of sleep, he knew that unfortunately this wasn't the case.

He felt Zhalia stiffen in his sleep and glared at the still closed door, hoping that their soon to be visitors would have the decency of staying silent in their presence and not wake them.

A couple of moments later the door opened ever so slowly just to reveal a trio of rather worried-looking seekers, their gazes instantly falling onto Dante.

Lok was the first one to enter and as soon as his eyes fell onto his two injured teammates that were laying on the Hospital bed, his blue eyes widened out of shock. Sophie and Sara wore a similar expression, equally as shocked as Lok was as they stood at the end of the beds, simply looking at the two.

A tense silence filled the room and Lok grabbed the white metallic ledge of the bed tightly, his blonde hair shielding his blue eyes as he lowered his face.

"Who did this?" His voice was dangerously low, close to a growl and Sophie laid a comforting hand on his shoulder, her eyes not moving from her teammates pale faces.

Dante shook his head in return, amber eyes hard. "Either Organization or the Blood Spiral." He revealed, causing Sophie to tense in an instant. Her emerald eyes finally moved from Zhalia and Den to look at Dante, her lips pursed into a straight line.

"The Blood Spiral?" Sophie echoed, concern lighting up her green orbs. "But what would left-over Spirals get from killing them?" She inquired, clearly confused as to what the handful of left-over Spirals would gain from killing them, especially since they were practically powerless.

Dante merely remained silent in return what was enough to unsettle the trio. Lok's expression softened and fear lightened up his eyes as a rush of dread overcame him, realization hitting him full force.

"Dante." He breathed, blue eyes filled with understanding as his mentor looked up to meet their gazes with his grave one, sighing upon realizing that this time there would be no way around telling them.

"The Spiral Mark is active again."

Sophie inhaled sharply, covering her mouth with one hand as her wide eyes looked at Dante in disbelief. Lok wore a similar expression and gritted his teeth out of frustration, his head lowered whereas Sara was grimacing at the news.

Sophie had told her who the Blood Spiral was and what they have been capable of doing and now that the Spiral Mark, their source of strength was active again, it meant that all the sacrifices they have made and all the tears they have shed were in vain.

It was just so damn _unfair_.

"What are we going to do now?" Sophie mumbled, careful not to wake Zhalia or Den. Her voice was filled with sheer frustration and helplessness and even though she was the leader of the Casterwill family, she was at a loss of ideas.

"Kick their ass, of course."

All eyes snapped to the person that the voice belonged to and Sophie and Lok instantly brightened as their eyes met Den's dark ones. He was wide awake and looked straight at him, the dark bags under his eyes and his lightly raspy voice being the only signs of his exhaustion.

His brown hair was lightly tousled and even though he looked lightly pale, the smirk that he was giving them was enough to assure the others that he was feeling alright.

"You're awake!" Lok exclaimed in relief, just to get shushed by Sophie. The Casterwill heiress slapped his shoulder lightly as her eyes eyes narrowed into a pair of dangerous slits.

"Zhalia is still asleep, she needs to rest!" She scolded in a hiss, earning a sheepish smile from Lok who rubbed the back of his neck.

"A bit too late for that, I woke up the moment Lok decided to yell through the hallway." Came another voice, causing four heads to whirl to the right just to see a rather annoyed looking Zhalia glaring back at them, a small smirk playing on her lips despite of her rather exhausted looking state she was in.

"Zhalia!" Lok exclaimed in delight upon seeing the female awake, this time not bothering to lower his tone because the two of them were not asleep anymore. Sophie merely shook her head at her boyfriends antics and threw her two teammates a relieved smile as well, all former worries having disappeared the instant she saw that they were alright.

"So the Blood Spiral is trying to attack us in order to weaken the team so that they can attack and take over the entire world." Den bluntly guessed, causing Dante to smirk out of amusement. Den always managed to make the most serious things sound like it was an everyday thing.

"Someone must have activated the Spiral Mark again and this someone has to posses over powers similar to the betrayer or at least Rassimov." Dante returned, a bitter feeling overcoming him as the name of his former enemy left his lips. It's been quite some time since his former insane archenemy invaded his mind and to say that he was glad that he didn't would be an understatement.

Lok grimaced. "So the left over Spirals try to gather new recruits in order to form an army again?" He asked, clenching his fists as he thought back to their fight against the betrayer.

"I don't think that they need many new recruits." Zhalia spoke up, her hazel eyes hard and expression grave. "Suits that still hold a grudge against the Foundation or our team won't hesitate to join them if it means that the Foundation will lose it's power and they will be on the top and rule. Grier can try to hold them back but he can't possibly watch every single suit of his."

Dante nodded in agreement, having already thought along the same lines that Zhalia did. The power that the Blood Spiral would offer these suits would clearly convince them to join them in their fight against the Foundation.

"We have to find out who their new leader is." Lok concluded grimly, grimacing as he felt some sort of deja-vu overcame him. He glanced at Zhalia out of the corner of his eyes just to see that she held the same expression as he did.

There was only one way to find out and even though this way was one they would rather not use, they had no other option left.

They needed a spy.

"Someone has to infiltrate the Blood Spiral again."

These words have left Zhalia's lips the moment she had seen the familiar glint of bitter reminiscence in Lok's eyes and the others instantly tensed.

"But what if that's exactly what they are expecting us to do?" Den asked after a painfully long moment of silence, knowing very well of the risks that it could bring with it.

A spy would be useful but if they expected this move from them, it could end deadly for whoever the Foundation would send. The blood Spiral was even more dangerous than the organization so they had to be careful as to whom to send-or if they would send someone in the first place. Zhalia was no longer an option because they already knew her identity by now and they all knew that before they would send her for a second time they would rather go themselves.

"I'll try to find a solution together with the council. I'll call an emergency meeting as soon as I am back home." Dante assured them, inwardly anything but too keen on doing so. Hell would break loose and a meeting such as this would cost them not only nerves but also hours that he could spend sleeping.

"Alright. You're going to move in with us right?" Lok asked Den who in return nodded. "Good." The Irish seeker then turned to Zhalia who merely glanced at Dante upon noticing Lok's silent question. The blonde instantly understood and couldn't help but chuckle lightly despite of the situation they were in. He knew that Dante most likely didn't even let her decide on her own but then again, he knew that even though Zhalia would be somewhat annoyed by him deciding for her she would be safe with him. They lived together once before already after all and under similar circumstances as well.

"Alright, it's settled then. Dante and Zhalia are going to inform the council and try to figure out what to do while the rest of us does practically nothing." Lok summarized with a small frown, hating not to be able to do more. As much as he wanted to be of help, there was nothing he could do for now.

"What about Sara's training?" Sophie suddenly inquired, causing everyone to look at Zhalia with curious eyes. The bluenette looked at Sara who seemed just as curious as them before a small smile formed itself on her lips.

"What about it?" Zhalia returned, lifting an eyebrow. "I'll still train her whenever I can. Don't you think that you can steal my student, kids." She told them with narrowed eyes, but her bright hazel eyes betrayed her expression. Sara gave her a grateful smile, inwardly glad to hear that Zhalia was not going to stop training her. Lok and Sophie were strong as well but she would still prefer Zhalia to continue her training with her.

Lok slumped his shoulders with a pout. "Can we at least train with her when you're not around?" He hopefully asked at which Zhalia gave him a nod.

"Do as you please, just don't kill her." She nonchalantly returned at what Lok and Sophie both brightened. Den crossed his arms above his chest and glanced over at Zhalia.

"Easier said then done. She is a klutz after all so no guarantee." Den replied, causing Zhalia to roll her eyes at his childish antics. Den glanced at Sara out of the corner of his eyes to take in her expression but much to his dismay, she remained indifferent above his comment.

"How long do you have to stay at the hospital?" Sara softly inquired, completely ignoring Den by not even bothering to look at him. Instead, she focused on Zhalia who in return looked at Dante, seemingly not knowing herself.

The auburn haired male shrugged. "Well Den is free to go as soon as the doctor checked up on him. With Zhalia it's going to be a bit more complicated." He admitted at which Zhalia frowned out of displeasure. She didn't feel like staying at the hospital any longer since she had formed some sort of aversion towards them ever since her time in the organization. She was still hurt and felt quite exhausted but other than that she was fine.

"I can just as well rest at your mansion as I do here at the hospital." Zhalia spoke, clearly disgruntled at the news.

"That's exactly why I already informed the nurses that I'm going to take you home today after your check up." Dante briefly informed her, causing her to lift a brow at him. So he had planned on taking her to live with him even before she woke up after all. If Zhalia hated one thing, it would be others deciding over things that concerned her no matter how small or unimportant it was and she knew that he knew.

Then again, he only wanted her to be safe and to recover so she couldn't possibly blame him for caring.

She would still make sure to remind him that she liked to decide things on her _own_ , especially things regarding herself.

A sudden knock echoed through the plainly white colored walls of the room and almost an instant later, the door opened to reveal a rather petite nurse.

"Good morning everyone." She politely greeted the team, an affable smile on her lips. "I am here to check up on Mister Fears and Miss Moon."

Zhalia gave her a curt nod and Lok instantly cleared his throat, gaining the groups attention as he slumped his arms around Sophie's shoulders.

"Well then, we'll wait for you outside Den." Lok told his teammate, deciding that it would be the best thing to let the nurse do her work and to not accidentally distract or bother her, what was one of Lok's undeniable specialties. The blonde then looked at the bluenette and walked over to stand next to her. He reached out towards her head and as if she could read his mind, Zhalia grabbed his wrist within the split of a second.

"Don't even think of it Lok." She narrowed her eyes and tightened her grip on his wrist. "Just because I am not feeling well doesn't mean that I still can't snap your wrist into two like toothpick."

A pout formed itself on Lok's lips as he gave her the best puppy-eyes he could muster up. They worked in most cases but this time, Zhalia seemed to remain unfazed by them.

"But I always wanted to ruffle your hair." He mumbled brokenly and Zhalia could have sworn that her eyebrow twitched at the blondes words. Den actually laughed out loud at that but much to his dismay, his laughing caused him to fall into a coughing fit. He gripped the metal ledge of the bed tightly and upon sensing the nurses disapproving look Sophie swiftly grabbed Lok's upper arm and threw the others an apologetic look.

"We'll make sure to visit you either today evening or tomorrow morning." Sophie told Zhalia, forcing a smile on her lips while her emerald eyes were burning because of Lok's embarrassing behavior.

Zhalia gave her fellow female teammate a nod in return and watched how she dragged Lok outside who was still mumbling something about how he would one day ruffle Zhalia's hair. Sara shook her head with a smile and patted Zhalia's blanket-covered legs gently.

"I better make sure that Sophie won't kill Lok. See you tomorrow and don't forget to stay hydrated;it's important after the blood loss you've undergone." Sara spoke with a soft smile, taking Zhalia by light surprise. She seemed to know what she was talking about and Zhalia mildly wondered how Sara could have such a medical knowledge at this young age since it wasn't the first time that her protegee had made a comment like that.

"I will." Zhalia promised, albeit hesitant. Sometimes she felt that Sara was more mature than she seemed and that only added to Zhalia's already existing curiosity regarding the young girl.

Sara's smile brightened. "Stay safe teach." She spoke and with one last nod towards Dante went to leave the room, three pairs of eyes on her while the nurse was setting Zhalia's monitor, seemingly not paying attention to their talk.

Just as Sara had opened the door and was about to walk outside, she hesitated. She lowered her head and exhaled a deep breath before she briefly glanced over to where Den was laying in the bed, his dark eyes still fixed on her.

"You too." She muttered and with that, left the room without another word. Surprise flashed in Den's eyes as he heard her speak up again for he had not expected her to talk to him after what happened in the first place. He stared at the place where she has been standing mere seconds ago in silence, his orbs glued onto the white wall before a frustrated groan left his lips.

"What the hell is wrong with this girl?" He grumbled, slumping back onto the bed with a frown.

Zhalia lifted her brow at Den and briefly glanced at Dante who wore a similar expression, a knowing glint lighting up his amber eyes.

"What should be wrong with her?" Zhalia innocently asked, a smirk threatening to make itself visible on her lips as she looked over to Den.

The teen was still laying down on the bed, glaring daggers at the ceiling while the nurse was fiddling on the IV that was stuck in his right arm. His left arm was lazily slung over a pillow while his fingers were tapping impatiently on the small desk next to his bed.

"She's just so weird!" He exclaimed exasperatedly, wincing as the nurse pushed a needle into the flesh of his upper arm without hesitation. While she was seemingly injecting something, he kept on throwing her mild glares out of the corner of his eyes.

She could have at least given him a warning.

"I didn't get the impression that she is weird at all." Dante smoothly returned as he leaned back in his seat, clearly entertained by the sight of Den getting scolded by the nurse for moving too much.

The brown haired male scoffed.

"Trust me Dante, she is." Den spoke in a firm tone, his eyes now fixed on the ceiling again. "I think she hates me, to be honest." He bluntly admitted, now actually flinching as the nurse pushed against his bruised rib lightly too hard.

"Could you please stop trying to kill me? I want to get out of here and not stay here for the next decade." Den snapped, clearly irritated at the nurses not too gentle check up. He just survived an explosion and on top of his already present troubles with his newcomer teammate, this nurse was trying to kill him instead of patching him up so that he could finally leave.

Zhalia was openly smirking by now, sparkles of amusement dancing in her eyes as she took in Den's current state. He seemed to be quite bothered by something that obviously involved Sara and even though she noticed that something must have happened that caused Sara to ignore him, she still didn't know what it was.

The mere fact that he was bothered by it was reason enough for her to be curious though. Den never cared about others opinion and never paid anything that didn't somewhat interest him a second thought.

Now however, he was obviously worked up and Zhalia was determined to find out just what exactly was going on and why her sweet little protegee was supposedly the cause for his frustration.

"Can't blame her." Zhalia coolly returned as the nurse now moved over to check her blood-pressure. "After all, you use every chance you got to pick on her. You weren't what I would call welcoming so it would be understandable if she were to hate you."

Den grimaced upon hearing Zhalia's words and clenched his teeth, trying his best to remain calm as he crossed his arms above his chest.  
"You don't understand." Den huffed, eyes narrowing. "She always fought back but ever since that day the museum she ignores me! You know how much I hate getting ignored and I don't see what her problem is at all and the most frustrating part is that all of sudden she pulls a stunt like this one!" He rambled in one breath, throwing his hands in the air in order to display just how serious the matter at hand was.

Zhalia was about to snort and make a comment but suddenly, something that he had mentioned caught her attention. She suddenly narrowed her eyes and turned her head to look at him, not bothering to conceal her glare.

"Ever since the day at the museum you say?" She asked, her voice dangerously low and Den instantly stiffened. He gave her a cautious glance out of the corner of his brown eyes and nodded, albeit reluctant.

"Yeah." He mumbled, shifting uncomfortably under Zhalia's penetrating glare. Dante shot her a curious look, seemingly unaware of what was going on in her head but judging by the way her gaze sharpened, Den must have done something that Zhalia didn't approve of.

"So it's because of you after all." She mumbled, realization dawning on her. He must have called her a burden or something similar what Sara must have taken too heart and caused the tension between the two. So that's why she was ignoring him and wanted Zhalia to train her harder and she was more than certain that Den knew that it was his own fault.

"Wait, did she say anything?" Den asked, his eyes shining with confusion and- wait. Was that guilt? Zhalia merely kept her eyes fixed on her roommate before she scoffed, turning to look at the white ceiling above them.

"Good luck trying to fix that one Den." Zhalia sighed, shaking her head at her teammate. She knew that he was stubborn and even though Sara was as well, she was way too good at heart to keep on ignoring him as she had proven today as well.

Den mumbled something under his breath and moved to go into the bathroom in order to change into the new set of clothing Lok had brought with them.

Dante, who was not knowing what exactly was going on, shot Zhalia a questioning look that she merely shrugged off.

"Please don't ask."

X

The Spiral Mark was burning, the dark energy that it emitted causing a cold shiver to run down the spine of the Blood Spirals that were too close.

In a cave not too far away, a woman was playing with a strand of her silky long hair. A bored expression was on her face as she eyes the many recruits in disinterest, her mind too occupied to actually pay attention to them.

"Lady Victoria!" Came a shout from the far back of the cavern, causing said female to frown out of confusion. A series of moments later a bulky looking man clad in the traditional Blood Spiral attire was kneeling in front of her, his forehead brushing on the ground.

"What is it?" She lazily drawled, examining her nails. Lately, there have been no news that were able to actually delight her or at least cause a spark of content to fill her and thus, she hoped that this time they have learned not to waste her time with their nonsense.

The last corpse of the Spiral that dared to question her intentions should have brought her point across.

"We found her."

Victoria instantly tensed, her blood red orbs narrowing into slits as she straightened her position on the stone throne she was currently sitting on. Now _that_ was something worth her time.

"Where is she?" She inquired, her hard eyes steadily fixed on the Blood Spiral member in front of her. He in return glanced up from his position and breathed a sigh of relief, glad that he was able not to anger her.

"She is with Vale and his team." He stuttered out, and that's when the relief he had formerly felt fade into nothingness just to get replaced by sheer fear at the way Victoria's eyes widened in rage.

"What?" She screeched, red eyes shining dangerously in the dim light of the cavern. The Spiral instantly lowered his gaze again but by then, it was already too late.

He felt his heart clench painfully and his blood beginning to boil. His chest jerked and his eyes flew open wide to see that Victoria was already standing right in front of him, her slim hand wrapped tightly around his throat.

"P-please Milady." He chocked out, a strangled sound of pain leaving his throat as he felt the the unbearable pain growing more and more intense.

Victoria paid his pleas no mind and carelessly tossed his body against the nearest wall like a rag doll, an ear-piercing scream echoing through the cavern before there was nothing.

The Spiral was motionlessly laying on the ground, his eyes still open wide and his lips parted. Victoria threw the now lifeless body a grim smile out of satisfaction before she growled lowly, her head whipping to the guard that was posted to guard the entrance of the cavern.

"What are you waiting for? Go and get her you morons!" She snarled, causing the guards to jump out of surprise. They hastily nodded their head and scampered out of the cavern, leaving behind three guards that were looking more than frightened by now.

Victoria slumped back into her seat and massaged her temples. That was just what she needed and the probably worst time there was for it to happen.

She would have to do something and fast if she didn't want her plans to get run over. With her mind now made up, the black haired female tightened her grip on the stony armrests and pursed her lips into a thin line.

"Very well then Vale. Let's see how well your team is going to cope with _this_."


	23. Painful reminder

**A/N:** I'm back! I know that it took me lightly longer then expected but I had a job interview and had to prepare etc.

As always, thanks to everyone that reviewed the past chapter. I hope that you'll like this one as well and if you did, **review**! It always brightens up my mood;)

* * *

CHAPTER 23

As soon as the nurse completed Zhalia and Den's check-up, they were free to leave without any more delays. While Den had to attend two healing sessions and check-ups at the hospital, Zhalia needed to take painkillers on top of the two check-ups per week that she would have to go through in order to fully recover.

Zhalia heaved a sigh as the familiar sight of Dante's mansion entered her sight. They were still in the cab and while Zhalia tried her best not to move too much since her body still ached, she tried to distract herself by the scenery outside.

The Foundation HQ was fairly close to Dante's mansion and so, the ride wasn't long. Zhalia had to admit that a lightly uneasy feeling was filling her stomach as she took in the building that was growing closer and closer with every second that passed. She used to live there once before already and even though it would only be temporarily, she had the nagging suspicion that once she would move in, he wouldn't let her go again.

Not that she complained. As long as he would properly ask her to stay this time it would be alright with her and she wouldn't complain because after all, they were officially official now. She liked to have her privacy every once in a while, but the mansion was big enough for her to hide from Dante if she needed a breather. On tip of that, if they would manage to destroy the Spiral Mark and the Blood Spirals for good, he would get flooded by paperwork.

They needed to spend as much time together as they could, for a happy ending was not guaranteed. Even if they were to win, who knew what would happen next. The seeker world was more serious than one may think and it would be nice to take a break from facing death every once in a while.

Leaning her head against the cool window glass, she felt how the car slowly came to a stop right in front of the large iron gates.

The bluenette unfastened her seat belt and gave the driver a curt nod before she opened the door and left the car. She clenched her teeth and grabbed the door tightly as a wave of dizziness overcame her. Black flooded her vision for the split of a second but of course, her expression remained indifferent.

Slamming the door shut, Zhalia muttered a swift Everheal under her breath and noticed that Dante was already standing next to her, offering her his arm.

She rolled her eyes with a small smile and almost refused to accept it, thinking that she would manage on her own but in the end, she figured that she should accept it before she would embarrass herself by tripping over air because of her dizziness or something.

So that's how she ended with her arm hooked around his before the two top seekers made their way inside.

As soon as Dante unlocked the door, Zhalia instantly felt herself engulfed by the warmth that filled it. The bright foyer was bathed in the sunlight that was shining through the large windows of the living room and even though she had been here just recently, the mansion gave off a feeling of home to her.

"Den and the others offered to look what's left of your apartment." Dante casually informed her, throwing the folder that was filled with letters and other important things that they hospital gave them onto the couch. "You were lucky that you two had your amulets with yourselves because else they would be a pile of ashes now."

Zhalia grimaced at the thought and instantly moved her free hand to cover her chest were her amulets were fastened around her throat, a warm feeling of assurance spreading through her body as she felt their presence through the connection they shared.

Dante was as kind as to watch her amulets while she was getting the surgery and had been asleep. He only gave them back to her when they left the hospital and now that she thought back to the day, she was glad that she didn't remove them yet. She knew for a fact that Den always liked to sleep with his amulets under his pillow in case of an attack and she guessed that he must have grabbed them the moment he heard her scream because they were with him when they arrived at the HQ.

"I know." Zhalia breathed, letting go of Dante's arm. She took a look around and her hazel eyes took in the room with reminiscing eyes. This room was holding so many memories; both good and bad ones. Here they have planned their most dangerous missions already, their fight against the professor but also goofed around.

Zhalia didn't participate in the latter of course.

"You still know where your room is?" The auburn haired male inquired, his tone now softer while his amber eyes were steadily fixed on her.

Zhalia quirked a small smirk in return. Of course she still knew. After all, she used to live here for quite some time and received more than enough time to burn the way from the entrance of the mansion to her room into her mind.

"Up the stairs, third door right." Zhalia instantly responded, still not looking at him. The memory of how he had suddenly left them was still fresh in her mind and even though she had forgiven him and accepted that he couldn't have refused, it was still unpleasant to think of.

Dante smiled. "Glad that you still remember. Now, will you manage to get upstairs on your own or do you want to try on your own?" He inquired, knowing that she liked to try things her way until asking for help from others.

Now Zhalia turned to look at him, her head lightly tilted while her expression remained indifferent. Her answer was more than obvious and yet, he couldn't help but ask just to make sure.

"'I'll manage Dante." She exhaled a small breath and upon seeing him nod out of the corner of her eyes, inwardly smiled out of satisfaction.

"You really want to get rid of me that fast, huh?" She huffed out of amusement, watching how he took of his yellow coat and tossed it onto the armchair before he moved to sit down, leaving Zhalia to stand there.

She crossed her arms across her chest and Dante gave her an innocent smile, crossing one leg over the other while he leaned his chin onto the palm of his hand, his elbow on the armrest while he watched her.

"When do I ever want to get rid of you?" He inquired, lifting a brow as he noticed the way her hazel eyes suddenly brightened in a lightly challenging way.

What was not true at all since he loved to have her around.

She had always had this calming effect on him that managed to keep him think straight whenever things dared to escalate. It was the same the other way around and that was exactly what caused them to work out so well.

"You need to rest Zhaal." Dante gently added as a reminder, his expression becoming stern. He would not allow her to distract him by using her little mind games on him. Her health was his first priority and even though she would probably try to deny that she wasn't feeling well, he knew her better than that.

"Dante, I think that I know best when I should rest and when not." Zhalia returned, her expression mirroring his.

Dante lifted a brow at her words, silently daring her to try him but of course, Zhalia stood her ground. A moment of silence passed between the two of them before Dante sighed and stood up from his seat. He slowly made his way over to Zhalia and even though she expected him to do something, she didn't expect that.

Dante moved as fast as a flash, appearing in front of her with a smirk before he wrapped his right arm around her waist and pulled her closer. He then wrapped his other arm around her legs and picked her up bridal style, leaving her to throw him a wide-eyed glare.

"Put me down this instant." Zhalia muttered as she regained her composure, her eyes turning into hazel slits as she dug her nails into his shoulder blade.

"It's your own fault." Dante merely shrugged as he made his way up the stairs, tightening his hold on Zhalia to cease her struggling.

"My fault? You're not the one who has to stay in bed and do _nothing_." Zhalia said with a grimace and for a moment, Dante thought that his minds played tricks on him and that she actually pouted.

"Don't worry Zhaal, I won't chain you to the bed as long as you try to rest every once in a while and don't move too much." He flatly returned, the ghost of a smirk that crossed his lips betraying his indifferent expression as he kicked the door of her room open.

Zhalia snorted and said nothing, leading Dante to believe that she had now entered her second stage which was ignoring him.

Mentally sighing, Dante gently placed the female on the bed and frowned as he noticed that she refused to even look into his direction as he did so.

Zhalia turned onto her right and bit on her tongue to refrain from groaning out of pain, pulling the crème colored sheets up to her waist and remaining silent.

Dante shook his head, knowing that there was no point in arguing any further since she was already in bed either way and bend down to kiss her temple affectionately.

"Try to get some sleep and let me know if you need something." Dante mumbled lowly before he left the room and closed the door behind himself.

As soon as Zhalia was sure that he was downstairs again and that he wouldn't hear her, she let out a groan out of pain and frustration that was muffled by the fluffy pillows.

She inhaled the familiar scent and instantly relaxed, her expression turning sad. She was torn between actually following his orders and try to fetch some needed sleep and staying awake. There was too much on her mind in order for her to peacefully fall asleep just yet and to say that it caused her physical pain would be an understatement.

The Spiral Mark was still active and the Blood Spiral had a new leader. Suits were now joining the Blood Spiral and she knew that something big was bound to happen, bigger than their former fight against the betrayer.

No, this time they would not get away.

Forcing herself to push these negative thoughts out of her mind, Zhalia tiredly closed her eyes in hope of sleep taking over.

It wouldn't be hard since her body was beyond exhausted and yet, it took longer than she had expected.

A full ten minutes of silence passed before she finally fell into a deep slumber, not knowing what would expect her on this very same day.

 _X_

Dante slumped down onto his armchair and leaned his head back against the soft material, his eyes closed.

He was thinking along the same lines as Zhalia and knew that since they managed to get that close to them already, they wouldn't be able to get shaken off that easily.

The mere fact that they managed to break into Zhalia and Den's apartment and place a bomb there without any of them noticing was enough to worry him.

Zhalia living with Dante and Den moving in with Sophie, Lok and Sara was the right thing to do under given circumstances.

His mansion and the Casterwill manor were both protected by a strong barrier that suits or Spirals couldn't break through that fast and even if they would, Dante and his team wouldn't be on their own.

A knock on his front door ripped him out of his musings and the auburn haired seeker frowned out of confusion.

He didn't expect any visitors and since he for a fact knew that Sophie and the others should have just arrived at the Casterwill manor, it caused him to grow even more suspicious.

Standing up from his seat once more, he inwardly wondered what would expect him at the front door. As soon as he reached the wooden door and opened it however, he did not expect _him_ to stand in his door way.

"Metz?" Dante spoke, clearly surprised to see his old mentor standing in front of him. Familiar brown eyes twinkled in the sunlight as they took in his protegees surprise filled orbs and the Council member grinned lightly in return.

"Dante." Metz calmly spoke, clearing his throat. "May I come in my boy?"

Dante snapped back to reality and shook his head with a small smile, stepping aside to let his mentor walk in.

"Of course, make yourself at home." Dante replied, allowing Metz to walk past him and straight into the living room.

Dante closed the front door and followed his mentor, gesturing him to sit down onto the armchair that he had formerly sat on.

Metz gave him a grateful smile and sat down, his eyes taking in the familiar room. Not much had changed ever since the last time he visited and he concluded that it was only to be expected since Dante just returned and was on missions most of the time.

"To what do I owe this honor?" Dante asked with a smile, curiosity lightning his amber eyes up as he sat down onto his couch, lifting a brow at his mentor.

Metz merely chuckled at his old student and shook his head. "Straight to the point as always." Metz commented with his German accent leaking through his voice. "Can't I just visit my old student every once in a while?"

By now both of Dante's auburn brows were reaching his hairline, his expression displaying the doubt he was feeling.

Metz sighed in defeat.

"I heard about the explosion." Metz cautiously started and Dante's expression instantly sobered, understanding filling his eyes. "I took the next available flight to Venice and upon not finding you at the HQ, I figured that you all must have left to your respective homes already." The German council member explained and Dante gave him a nod of understanding.

He was grateful for Metz to visit them, especially to ensure that they were feeling alright but Dante knew that in order for him to happen he must have wanted to discuss something else.

"I am sure that Zhalia and Den appreciate your visit as much as I do." Dante returned with a smile, causing Metz to return it in an instant.

"Speaking of which." Metz started, his innocent expression betraying the knowing glint in his eyes. "I assume that you convinced Zhalia to live with you again."

Dante inwardly snorted. His mentor was quite predictable and even more similar to himself. He couldn't fool Metz since he practically raised Dante ever since he was a child but of course, that didn't mean that he couldn't allow himself to have some fun.

"Why would I?" Dante curtly returned, his expression turning indifferent what caused Metz a frown of confusion to grace his expression, much to Dante's inner delight.

That delight however was short-lived because Metz then started to chuckle all of sudden, leaving Dante's hoped of fooling his mentor to shatter.

"Nice try Dante, but we both know that you wouldn't let her out of your sight especially under given circumstances." Metz returned with a wave of his hand, causing Dante to frown out of displeasure.

Was he that obvious?

With a sigh, Dante then gave up. "She is upstairs sleeping." Or well,at least he hoped that she was asleep by now. She needed to get some sleep especially since her body really did need it despite of her protests. It was for her own good and would help her recover faster, what would be in everyone's favor.

Metz gave Dante a curt nod. "I take it that Den moved in with the rest of your team?" He inquired, earning a nod from Dante in return. He would have taken Den in as well but as soon as he had asked him, Den instantly turned down his offer muttering something about Lok and Sophie killing him if he did because of some code green.

Teens these days, full of mysteries and code names.

"What about the new addition to your team, Sara I think was her name." Metz asked with a smile, the curiosity in his voice clearly evident.

Dante and his team weren't ones to take in the most random people into their little group of seekers. They team was based on shared experienced, blood and tears that they have shed with each other and a bond that was similar to the one that a family shared.

Many admired their infamous team for their success and their strength but the key to their success wasn't their strength as individuals but as a team.

They functioned as one and everyone added their own part to it. Without one of them, there would be no team.

Dante actually doubted that they would take in someone after Sara. They were already six with Sara included and that was just as much as they needed. If they were to add a new member every month they wouldn't be considered a team anymore and could easily open their own Foundation with seekers.

With Sara it was lightly different. She didn't just need their protection and instead, there was something about her that promised great strength. To the naked eye it was invisible but to Dante, an experienced seeker, it was more than obvious.

She needed to get proper guidance and who would be better for the job than Zhalia, one of the best Foundation seekers that was more than similar to the brunette female as well.

"She is a very interesting young girl." Dante eventually said, a small smirk playing on his lips as he remembered Den's rather frustrated description of her.

He mildly wondered how they would manage to live together and even though they functioned well as a team despite of their little quarrels for now, it could prove to get difficult with Den having made Sara mad for reasons unknown to him what lead to her ignoring the young boy.

"Well she certainly has to be in order for her to get a place in your team." Metz agreed, folding his hands neatly on his lap.

Dante already informed Metz about the basics and how they met in the first place so that he would be updated about the situation.

"It was Zhalia's decision actually but even if she wouldn't have proposed it, I would have." Dante revealed with a small sigh. "She's got huge potential and actually saved two of my team members and Scarlet the other day."

Metz merely lifted a brow at Dante's words, having not been aware of this little detail of their past mission.

"I would like to meet this young lady, she really made me curious." Metz admitted with a bright smile, already looking towards meeting the brunette. Dante never judged about people quickly, not to mention praise and Metz knew that in order for Dante to say such a thing after knowing the girl for a week only, it had to be true.

"How long are you going to stay in Venice?" Dante inquired, having forgotten about that aspect of his mentors visit. He wondered if Lok would one day be in the very same position as he was and he would take Metz spot, what would be very likely but also very interesting as well.

"Three days, this one included."

Dante nodded, running a hand over his face as he opened his mouth to ask another question but the sound of glass shattering from upstairs caused him to freeze in place.

He looked at Metz in order to find out whether his mind had only played tricks on him or he had actually heard the noise from upstairs but judging by Metz's worried frown, his suspicions were proven to be true.

Not wasting another second, Dante stood up from his seat and made his way upstairs, not wanting to risk anything. Maybe Zhalia only managed to kick the glass of water off of the nightstand next to her bed in her sleep but then again, it could be anything.

Dante swiftly jogged up the stairs, Metz slowly following behind while the auburn haired seeker entered the corridor that lead to her room.

The door was closed and through it he could hear a muffled sound, indicating that Zhalia must be awake.

"Zhalia?" Dante asked concerned as he knocked on her door, trying his best not to kick the door open and burst in.

He was a gentleman and respected her privacy but if she wouldn't open the door on her own or give him a sign that she was well he would do so without hesitation.

Seconds ticked by and when he received no answer, he opened the door on his own.

The first thing his amber eyes took in was the way her bed was a mess and the sheets were on the ground and the glass with water was on the ground, the glass splinters covering the ground next to the white blankets.

His eyes then fell onto the person that he was looking for and as soon as his eyes met her pain filled hazel ones, his heart skipped a beat.

Zhalia was leaning against the door of the bathroom that was connected to her room, face as pale as a sheet and her eyes wide.

Her breathing was uneven and hard, her forehead covered in a layer of cold sweet while she seemingly struggled to remain standing on her feet. Dante felt his heart clench at the sight and instantly rushed to her side, wrapping an arm around her waist to steady her.

She winced at the contact and tried to move away as if she just got burned, but he didn't loosen his hold on her.

"Zhaal, what's wrong?" Dante gently inquired, eyes filled with worry. Zhalia struggled to answer but her teeth were clenched and the only response he received was a pained hiss.

She gave him a pained glance before she averted her eyes and as soon as he followed her gaze with his, he stiffened.

She was holding onto her forearm tightly so that her knuckled turned white, and Dante instantly realized what was going on. Ever so gently, he covered her shaking hand with his before he softly removed her hand from her forearm, a pained groan escaping her as she bit her lower lip.

On her forearm, the Spiral Mark was burning in a bright red-hue.

Dante's gaze instantly met her own confused and pained one before his eyes snapped to Metz, his mentor holding a shocked expression.

"What in Casterwills name." He breathed out of surprise before his eyes narrowed, brown orbs filling with worry as he looked at Zhalia.

The bluenette looked at the two with a worried expression, sharing the same thoughts as they did.

Things were definitely not looking good for them.

 _Meanwhile_

 _The Casterwill Manor_

"You know that I will find you." Lok drawled with a grin, his blue eyes looking behind the couch to look for his teammates.

It all started when they entered the mansion and Lok complained how bored he was. Long story short, they somehow ended up playing Hide and Seek in Sophie's mansion since Den refused to spend his day in bed doing nothing.

Lok had eagerly agreed and after some scolding from Sophie, she yielded and decided that there would be no harm in playing some.

Unfortunately, it was Lok's turn first and as for the past five minutes of roaming the mansion, there was no sign of either Den, Sophie or Sara.

The kind of Hide and Seek they were playing however was the seekers edition.

The one's hiding were allowed to move from their hiding spot but as soon as they were caught, they would have to be the one seeking the others. Their goal was to remain unseen and if they managed to reach the spot where Lok was counting at -what was the kitchen counter- before Lok saw or reached them, they would win.

Using spells like Hyperstride or Nimblefire in order to reach it faster were allowed but anything else would be considered cheating, especially since Sara barely knew how to use spells in the first place.

Lok pouted as he left the living-room, not having encountered or found anyone yet. He had to be careful not to make any sound that would alarm the others and also had to listen carefully in case someone made any noise that may expose their hiding spot.

He entered the hallway and glanced at the door that led to the kitchen, ensuring that no one was creeping their way towards the counter just yet.

The blonde opened the door to the restroom and was about to enter when a gust of wind behind him caused him to freeze out of alarm. Without thinking twice, the blonde whirled around and run towards the kitchen, his heart racing and upon entering it, his grin faded.

Sitting on the counter was Sara, dressed in white skinny pants and an olive-green tee, a cat-like grin on her face as she took in Lok's surprised expression.

She tilted her head aside, causing her long brown locks to fall over her shoulder with the movement while her eyes were twinkling in delight.

"Getting slow Lok?" She teasingly inquired, causing him to groan out of frustration. He stomped his feet and ruffled his blonde hair, a pout on his lips.

"How were you so fast? You can't even use Nimblefire yet!" Lok exclaimed in confusion at what Sara merely shrugged.

"Beginners Luck?" She guessed before her eyes fixed on a spot behind Lok that caused her smile to brighten. "Thanks for the help again, Sophie!"

Lok instantly turned around, prepared to catch Sophie but upon not seeing anything or rather anyone behind him, Lok realized his mistake.

Too late.

He slumped his shoulders and turned around just to see his girlfriend stand next to Sara on the counter, an innocent smile on her face while sparkles of amusement danced in her eyes. She was dressed in her usual attire and put a strand of her caramel-blond hair behind her ear, giving Sara a high-five.

"That's not fair!" Lok whined as he run a hand on his face, realizing that Sophie must have used the chance of Sara distracting him to use Nimblefire and run towards the counter from the opposite direction.

He made a mental note to check the store-room the next time he would have to be the seeker.

How ironic that sounded.

"Den is the only one left. If you don't find him on time, you'll have to seek the next round again." Sophie reminded him, hopping onto the counter next to Sara. Lok scowled at the reminder before he straightened his back and patted himself on the chest.

"I will find him." He confidently returned and with that, turned around to make this promise become reality. He was not worried that Den would approach the kitchen from the other side since he already checked there, like most of the rooms downstairs.

They agreed to only hide downstairs because else it would be too hard to find them and so, Lok concluded that he wouldn't have too many problems finding Den.

The only rooms left that he had to check were the second living-room and the gym and since the living room was closer than the gym, he went to check it first.

He entered the large room and scanned it for any signs of his teammate. It seemed empty and after some more looking, he figured that he wasn't in there.

He was about to leave but stopped in his tracks when he heard a pained groan from the back of the room. Lok frowned out of confusion and allowed his bright blue eyes to check the room once more. At first, he couldn't sense that anything was off but as upon walking into the direction from where the sound had formerly come from, he heard it again.

This time, it was sure that it was Den and as soon as he realized that the store room where the the bedding was stored in was attached to the living room he was in, he instantly knew where he would find his teammate.

He instantly made his way towards it and as soon as he threw the doors open, all signs of his former grin of victory disappeared in an instant.

Crouched on the ground was his Den, writhing and groaning out of sweet as he clutched his right for arm in pain.

"Den!" Lok called, instantly dropping on his knees next to him. Den's breathing was heavy and his eyes were wide, his entire body stiff as he bit his bottom lip to refrain from crying out loud.

At first, Lok didn't know what to do but as soon as he tried to move Den onto his back, he let out a low yelp. Lok instantly removed his hand and as soon as he realized what the source of pain seemingly was, his concern filled blue eyes fell onto the place Den was holding onto.

Lok held Den's wrist and pulled his hand off of his forearm, ignoring his groans of protest and inhaled sharply at the sight.

"Impossible." He whispered, his eyes falling back to Den who was watching Lok with wide eyes by now, his orbs holding just as much worry and panic as Lok's did while the two of them shared one and the same thought.

They were _so_ screwed.


	24. Emergency Meeting

**A/N:** As always, thanks for reviewing the past chapter:) I am beyond happy to see that you all like it this far and I am trying my best to update as soon as I can. If you like this chapter as well, please **review**!

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CHAPTER 24

"How is that possible?" Sophie whispered, her emerald eyes hard and fists clenched. Her orbs were fixed on Den's unconscious form laying on the bed, a frown gracing his face and his brown hair sticking to his forehead due to the beads of sweat that covered it.

His breathing was uneven and even while being unconscious he seemed to be in a lot of pain, the mark on his forearm still glowing in a dangerous red hue.

"It was only a matter of time." Lok bitterly muttered, his expression pained as he looked at Den as well. "With the Spiral Mark being active, it was a matter of time until this would happen as well. I should have realized sooner."

Sophie laid a comforting hand on his shoulder and gave it a soft squeeze, her eyes softening. "No one could have predicted this." She firmly reminded him, Lok's depressed expression causing her heart to clench even more.

She hated seeing him like this. He was inwardly beating himself for who knew what, she knew that, and it pained her to see that his usually glowing eyes were now blank and filled with nothing but worry.

"Is this permanent?" Came Sara's question, her cold eyes fixed on Den's pale expression. Her face was lacking of emotion and her entire body was stiff, giving away that she was concerned as well. She had a strange way of showing but she certainly was, Lok and Sophie could tell as much.

"I don't know." Sophie eventually answered, shooting Den who was still out cold a weary glance out of the corner of her eyes. As soon as Lok found Den, he had called them and shortly after Sara and Sophie arrived, Den passed out due to the pain. It's been half an hour already and he was suffering under a high fever and even when unconscious, he still seemed to be in pain.

Sophie knew that the burning mark was painful but she never thought that it would cause so much pain to one.

After all, it never was that bad with Zhal-

Sophie's eyes widened out of sudden realization as her grip on Lok's shoulder tightened,fear flashing in her emerald orbs.

"Lok! How could we have forgotten?" Sophie breathed, scolding herself under her breath as she rushed out of the room, leaving behind a confused pair of seekers.

Fortunately, she reappeared shortly after with her cellphone in her hand, dialing some number that Lok couldn't recognize.

"Sophie, what are you doing?" He asked, frowning at Sophie's worried expression. Her eyes shot to his and upon being greeted by her concerned expression, Lok wondered what could have possibly made her worry all of sudden.

"Zhalia had the Spiral mark too Lok!" Sophie reminded him, causing the blonde's eyes to widen out of realization.

"You think that the same happened to her?" Lok inquired , feeling his worry increase. Zhalia was badly injured as it was and with the additional pain it would be harder for her to fight it especially since she was at the border of exhaustion taking over the last time he had seen her some hours ago.

At first, he completely forgot about Zhalia having the Spiral mark as well and now that Sophie reminded him, it only made sense.

But then again, it would mean that the others just like Harrison must feel it as well. Whoever took over the Blood Spiral and activated the Spiral Mark again must have pointedly targeted the ones that have betrayed the Blood Spiral because it would make no sense for the Spirals new leader to harm her own followers.

"Dante, thank goodness you picked up!" Sophie suddenly exclaimed, relief clearly evident in her voice. She was pacing back and forth as she put the phone on speaker, allowing Sara and Lok to listen what they eagerly did.

"I take that Den isn't any better than Zhalia." Dante's voice reached their ears from the other side of the line, his voice lightly hushed.

Sophie and the others exchanged a knowing look and the Casterwill heiress sighed, shaking her head in return even though Dante couldn't see it.

"It depends. Did Zhalia pass out because of the pain of the Spiral Mark?" Lok asked, gulping down as he noticed the silence that filled the room. He could already picture Dante's troubled and concerned expression in front of his very eyes.

"She did right after I found her." Dante grimly informed them and Lok's entire body slackened. The blonde took a step backwards and run a hand over his face, not wanting to believe what he was hearing. He had somewhat expected it already and yet, to hear that both of his teammates were out cold and there was nothing they could do against it or to make it more bearable was enough to make his blood boil.

These damn Spirals.

Sophie clutched her cellphone tight into her hand and massaged her temple with her free hand, just as worried about the situation as Lok was.

"Dante, what do we do?" Sophie said, her voice barely above a whisper. As the Casterwill heiress she was supposed to be of help, to come up with a plan or some suggestions and yet here she was, helpless and an emotional wreck.

The Blood Spiral was officially back and stronger than they were before. The team has already made countless of sacrifices in order to defeat them the last time and Dante had almost died, just like many other seekers that served the Foundation. Everyone risked their life for one purpose only, which was for peace to finally settle over the world and yet, the Blood Spiral practically spit on all their efforts and sacrifices.

As soon as the news would reach the seekers of the Foundations all over the world just like her own family, they would want to know what was going to happen, if there would be a fight and how they should best prepare.

They would expect orders from their leaders.

How was she supposed to do tell her family that their biggest enemy returned and that there would be a war again if they wouldn't manage to prevent in just in time? That they didn't even know who the new leader of the Blood Spiral was so how were they supposed to defeat them a second time while they barely managed to win the last time they fought against them.

"Metz just arrived in Venice. Me and him will call an emergency council meeting and try to figure out what would be best to do next. As for now, all we can do is hope and wait." Dante sighed at the other line, and Sara shot Lok a confused look.

"Who's Metz?" She mouthed with furrowed brows, clearly overwhelmed by everything that was currently going on. Lok could have sworn that he saw her brow twitch out of confusion, almost causing him to chuckle.

"Dante's old Mentor and the head of the Foundation Council." Lok whispered, earning a sound of understanding from Sara who nodded in return.

"Understood." Sophie returned, trying her best to remain as professional as possible. "Shall I warn my family?"

There was silence.

"Not yet. We will only involve the Casterwills as soon as we know who it is that we are facing and have no other choice. Causing them to worry is unnecessary just yet since we don't even know who is behind all of this." Dante returned after some moments of silence and Sophie nodded, knowing that he was right.

Her family would most likely demand to know all the details and unfortunately, she was unable to do so what would most likely cause only more troubles.

Yeah, it was definitely better for them to avoid to tell the Casterwills about it until they would find out more.

"I will attend the meeting as well." Sophie declared, having made up her mind. She would not sit back and do nothing, for she held responsibility for every Casterwill there was. It was her duty to do and help out as much as she could and by attending the meeting she would at least do _something_.

"Sophie-" Dante started, but the young Casterwill heiress would have nothing of it. She narrowed her eyes and straightened her back, her lips pursed into a thin line.

"No Dante. It's my duty and as the leader of the Casterwills I have a right to take part of it, if only this once." Sophie spoke in a firm voice, her stubborn side showing once more. She was aware of Dante only trying to prevent her from joining because it would take hours and there would be many arguments that he wanted to keep her away from, but she would have to face them sooner or later anyways.

There was silence and for some moments, Sophie feared that Dante may have ended the call but eventually, there was a sigh.

"Very well. I expect you at the mansion in twenty minutes." With that being said, the line went dead. Sophie allowed herself to smile out of satisfaction and put her cell phone back into the pocket of her jacket, her emerald eyes catching Lok's blue ones as soon as she looked up.

"I will come with you." Lok declared, expression grave. He was not going to let her attend the meeting on her own with no one that would have her back. Of course Dante would be there, but he would most likely be busy by arguing with the other council members.

She needed someone to have her back and that was exactly what Lok was there for. He was her protector, boyfriend and champion of the Casterwills after all.

Sophie exhaled a deep breath, having already expected Lok wanting to join her. She had to admit that she was glad that he offered or well, more like declared that he would join her since she could use some mental support from him.

"Alright." She nodded, running a slim hand through her long caramel-colored locks that fell over her shoulders. Sophie then looked at Sara who was eyeing the two from the other side of the room, looking slightly torn.

Her blue eyes uncertainly darted from Sophie to Lok and she could make out that she didn't know what would be expected from her. Sara didn't know much of the entire council and Casterwill family yet but she still wanted to help.

"Sara, you'll stay here and keep an eye on Den." Sophie started, earning a nod from Sara in return. "LeBlanche and Santiago will stay here with you in case something happens. I'll tell LeBlanche to join you on my way outside."

Sara once more gave Sophie a curt nod, lightly disappointed that she would have to stay behind while the others would be doing all kind of important things. Then again, she was a beginner only so she could understand why there was very little that she could do other than keep an eye on Den in case his condition would worsen.

Sophie softly smiled at Sara, glad that she understood before she turned to Lok and gave him a curt nod.

"Well then, let's not waste any more time or else, they may start without us." Sophie spoke, her shoulders slumped while the blonde gave her a comforting smile.

"It's gonna be alright Soph." Lok promised, the determination that his voice held clearly audible. She gave him a slow nod before the two of them left the room, Lok giving Sara a small wave whereas Sophie told her to take care.

Sara returned the wave, less enthusiastic than Lok and watched her teammates leave with a heavy heart. The brunette slumped her shoulders and walked over to sit down on the armchair that was located in the corner of the room, next to the bookshelf and close to the bed that Den was currently laying in.

She leaned her elbows on her thighs and laid her head into her hands, inhaling a deep gush of air. Things were not going well and somehow, it all started when she had joined the team.

If these suits wouldn't have been following her and tried to take her to god knows where, maybe all of this wouldn't have happened. It was because of her that they have gone to meet the head of the organization -Grier was his name if she remembered correctly- and that Zhalia had to train her. Also, if she wouldn't have joined them on their little trip to Ireland, she wouldn't have gotten teamed up with Den wither and if she wouldn't have, she wouldn't have been ignoring him.

She wouldn't feel the guilt eating her alive whenever she looked at him or noticed that he was trying to start a conversation.

Sara never was one to stay mad for long but neither was she one to let people close to her either. She was afraid of getting close to anyone, be it Sophie, Lok, or the rest of the team. She has had first hand experience of how painful it was to lose someone you cared about and did not want history to repeat itself.

"Miss Sara." Came a hushed voice and her head snapped upwards to see LeBlanche staying in the doorway, his expression concerned.

Sara's eyes softened and the blue-eyed female straightened in an instant. "Yes?" She asked, equally as careful to keep her voice down in order to let Den rest.

LeBlanche motioned for her to come outside and she did as told without hesitation, knowing better then to let him wait.

Throwing Den one more glance out of the corner of her blue eyes, she left the room and made sure to leave the door open in case Den would either wake up or he would feel worse. Sara then turned around and followed LeBlanche down the hallway until they reached the living-room that Lok had found Den in.

"Are you alright? You seem slightly pale." LeBlanche commented as he and Sara both sat down opposite of each other. "Would you like some water or something to eat?" The elderly seeker affably inquired, causing a smile to tug at the corner of Sara's lips.

She shook her head in return. "I'm fine. Thanks for the offer LeBlanche, but I am not hungry." She softly assured the butler, crossing one leg over the other as she lightly shifted in her seat until she was in a comfortable position.

LeBlanche merely smiled and gave her a curt nod in return, knowing that in this kind of situation food was the least thing she would probably think of.

"Well then, how has your and Zhalia's training been progressing?" LeBlanche inquired, intending to start a conversation with Sara in order to get her mind off of the things that were troubling her.

Sara relaxed lightly and tried her best not to let her mind drift off to her mentor and the pain she had to be in, not breaking the eye-contact.

"It's going well. I know how to call a Boltflare and use Everfight already." She informed LeBlanche and couldn't help but feel lightly proud. She managed to master two spells within one week and that was something that she didn't expect to happen. Sara actually imagined it to be way harder to master a spell but surprisingly, it was easier then expected. Of course it would take her some time until she would be able to properly use them without any troubles or thinking too much about them in order to be able to summon them.

She was by no means a natural talent and it would take her weeks, if not even months until she would be able to use the most basic spells, not to mention summon titans.

"That's quite impressive." LeBlanche commented with a bright smile. "I take that you are a fast learner then."

Sara lightly shrugged in return. "Zhalia's a good teacher, it's thanks to her that I learned them this fast." She reasoned, causing LeBlanche to smile.

Sara differed from the rest of the team. Whereas they all did to some extend, Sara did as well and was the perfect addition to the team. It was like she was the last piece of the puzzle they needed in order to complete it and even if the others didn't notice yet, she was more mature then a girl at her age should be.

"Well, since Lady Sophie and Master Lok left the mansion and probably won't return until sundown, I could teach you a spell to save you from boredom." He offered and Sara's eyes widened the lightest of bits, surprise flashing in her blue orbs.

"You would do that?" She asked, obviously surprised by his offer. It would be a great way for her to improve while Zhalia and the others were busy and besides, she didn't have anything else to do either.

LeBlanche smiled in return, his kind eyes shining in the light that fell through the window as he nodded. "Of course child." He replied, and Sara couldn't help but smile brightly at that. She was more than eager to learn as much as she could and knew that since LeBlanche was a calm person from nature, he would be a great teacher, if only for this spell.

"Thank you LeBlanche." Sara spoke, grateful for his support. "What's the spell called?"

LeBlanche's smile widened at Sara's question and the elderly seeker stood up from his seat, eyes fixed on Sara.

"Breakspell."

 _Meanwhile_

 _Dante's mansion_

Sophie and Lok arrived around ten minutes later, both feeling the weight of the current situation crushing their hearts. They held a lot of responsibility and in situations as this, they couldn't allow themselves to make a mistake for this mistake could lead to chaos.

Lok knocked on the wooden door and right after they did, it flew open to reveal their mentor. His expression was blank and his lips were pursed, exhausted amber eyes taking in his students.

Out of everyone, Dante probably had it worst. He was the one who went as far as sacrificing himself during their fight in order to safe them and he just barely escaped death. On top of that, Zhalia was in pain and he was forced to attend a council meeting that would take hours.

Life was hard and unfair for Dante Vale.

"Come in, we were just about to start." The auburn haired seeker spoke, moving aside to let the two teens pass.

They did as told and walked into the living-room just to be greeted by the sight of Metz standing in front of the large TV Screen, giving them an affable smile.

"Hello you two." The German council member greeted them, Sophie and Lok both offering him a small nod and a smile in return as they moved to stand next to him.

Dante soon joined them and moved to get his Holotome, the electronic device aiding them into starting the emergency meeting.

Lok's blue eyes scanned the room and upon not seeing his other teammate, he glanced at Dante who was giving some kind of code into his Holotome before he looked at Metz.

"She's upstairs, right?" Lok asked, gulping down the lump that formed itself in his throat. Metz gave the blonde a soft pat on his shoulder and offered him a smile of reassurance.

"She and Den will be fine, don't worry." Metz calmly assured him and Lok lowered his head lightly, breathing through his nose.  
He knew that they would be fine after some time, but they were in pain _now_ and also, who knew when it would happen next again.

"Well then, are you ready?" Dante asked the two, placing his Holotome on the table in front of them before he looked at the two members of his team, expression hard.

Lok and Sophie gave a nod, their eyes shining with determination. Whatever would expect them in this meeting, it would determine their very own future so they had to do everything in their power to find a way to stop it all before it would even begin.

"Let's begin."

With that, Dante pressed a button on his Holotome and sat down on the couch, Metz doing the same by sitting down on the empty armchair. Lok and Sophie swiftly moved to sit as well, taking the second couch next to Dante's just in time as the large TV screen went on.

It was divided into eight parts and in each square there was one of the council members that was behind their desk, looking either tired because it was the middle of the night or confused.

"Good evening Ladies and Gentleman." Dante greeted them, a small smirk tugging at the corner of his lips as he took in the rather disgruntled expression of the council members.

Lok grabbed Sophie's hand as he felt her stiffen lightly and even though she held her head high, he could see how tense she was.

Sophie relaxed under his touch and shot him a small, grateful smile before she returned her attention to the screen, Lok doing the same.

"Dante Vale, it's two in the morning over here. I am sure that whatever the reason for your call is can wait for some more hours.?" A chubby black-haired man in his pajamas snapped, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes with the back of his hand. Momax was his name, if Sophie was not mistaken. She had seen him on a meeting before already.

"Yeah." Another one agreed, his ginger hair messy as he frowned. "Besides, didn't you decide to leave the council in order to return to your team?" He asked, his eyes falling to Sophie and Lok who were now the new center of attention. Sophie narrowed her brows and felt how Lok squeezed her hand comfortingly, his expression holding a small frown at their attitude.

"Now now gentleman, I am sure that Mister Vale has a good reason for calling us at this hour for an _emergency_ meeting." An elderly female spoke, her calm voice laced with a warning undertone. The meeting has not even begun yet and they were already complaining and bickering, what was not a good sign.

"What are the Casterwill girl and the Lambert boy here for then?" Another male asked, seemingly confused by their presence.

Sophie was frowning by now and felt a pang of annoyance hit her. What was it with them being all moody and rude all of sudden?

"As the leader of the Casterwill family I have a right to attend the council meeting if it will discuss a matter that regards not only the council but my family as well." Sophie firmly spoke, her eyes shining with determination. She was not only the leader of the Casterwills but also a member of the team that defeated the professor and the betrayer while most of the council went into hiding.

"And what could be as important as calling us in the middle of the night?" The chubby male once more asked, clearly irritated.

Dante's smirk disappeared and his expression turned to hold a frown, the displeasure that he felt lighting up his amber eyes.

"The Spiral Mark is active again and the Blood Spiral has a new leader. Additionally, two members of my team are suffering under the pain of the Spiral Mark right now so I think that I have every reason to hold an emergency meeting." Dante spoke, his voice deadly calm and his amber eyes glowing with concealed anger. He was not going to beat around the bush and instead, address the matter directly. It was important for them to find a solution as fast as possible.

Silence greeted them and Lok had to admit that if the situation wouldn't be serious, he would have laughed at the council members expressions.

Some of them gasped whereas the others eyes merely widened, their jaws slack. It was certainly the least thing that they have expected and whereas it was understandable, they needed to snap out of it and talk in order for them to look for a way to stop them before things would escalate.

"You can't be serious." One of the female members breathed, clearly shocked. Dante sighed and shook his head , unfortunately not being able to say that he was joking.

"Unfortunately, everything he said was true. I saw it with my own two eyes." Metz spoke, a grim expression on his face.

Silence greeted the group of four while the council members took some time to process what they have just been informed about. It was a lot to take in and nothing pleasant either.

"Would you mind telling us just what on earth lead you to believe that the Blood Spiral returned and that the Spiral Mark is active?" This time it was Guggenheim who spoke up. He was dressed in a gray suit and sat behind his desk, eyes hard.

Dante gave the German council member a curt nod in return, now being the center of attention again.

"It all started with a run in with some Spirals on our first mission after I returned to the team. At first we believed that it were left-over Spirals but something was off with them. They were too strong for being left-overs." Dante explained, brows furrowed as he thought back to the mission.

"We were not the only ones that run into some. Montehue and Tersely did as well, what lead us to believe that there really was something off about them." He went on and made a short break in order for the others to take in this piece of information.

"So you think that the Blood Spiral returned just because the Spirals that were left over have gotten stronger?" A new male voice inquired, the Indian accent clearly audible.

Dante frowned. "Of course not. I was not done explaining yet." He curtly informed him, trying his best to maintain his composure. He was famous for remaining calm and composed in serious situations such as these and yet, it was harder to stay calm this time for whatever reason there was.

"As I was saying, they grew stronger. Ever since our little run-in, I kept an eye on the Blood Spirals activity and made some researches. It turns out that the Spiral Mark in Siberia is burning, what leaves me wondering how no one managed to notice earlier. I thought that seekers were assigned to guard it, so how comes that it's left completely unguarded and approachable for everyone?" Dante asked, his eyes narrowed. An uncomfortable silence filled the room and Lok turned to look at the council in disbelief. They really left the Spiral Mark unguarded?

"Is that true, Akulov?" Metz asked, frowning as he looked at the council member that was responsible for the people that were assigned to guard the Spiral Mark in case someone would attack or anything suspicious would happen.

The Russian council member's face was not holding any emotions. His dark brown hair was combed back and his expression was blank, his lips pursed into a thin line.

"It was a waste of time. My men guarded it for two weeks and nothing happened, so I ordered them to leave. With the Blood Spiral destroyed, there was no reason for us to guard it any longer." He defended himself, his low voice carrying a heavy Russian accent.

Dante frowned, his amber eyes shining with disapproval. "There was." He firmly returned, clearly displeased by his decision. "If someone would have guarded the Spiral Mark, we would have noticed sooner and could have prevented some things, maybe even the Spiral Mark getting activated in the first place. Because of the Spiral Mark being unguarded, two members of my team are currently suffering under the consequences of the lack of security, what is something that I can not allow."

Sophie's emerald eyes fell to Dante and she couldn't help but feel proud. Her mentor was a well respected person, wanting the best for both his team and the Foundation. In situations such as these, he would not hesitate to speak his mind and yet, despite of the current situation, he managed to remain professional.

Sophie looked back at the Russian council member who was frowning, if not even glaring at her mentor. He remained silent, knowing that Dante was right and of course his ego would have received a good scratch because of that. She inwardly huffed.

Men and their stupid ego.

"I will make sure to send a group of my people to guard the Spiral Mark in order to ensure that no one is going to get too close or try anything." Teien informed them, causing Sophie to smile lightly. With Teien being a Casterwill, Sophie would be able to directly keep an eye on it as well and get informed as soon as something would happen. She was certain that Teien would not tell the rest of her family about what was going on since Sophie was present, what was enough. Also, whatever was being said during the meeting would remain between the council members unless they decided that they would involve other seekers or the Casterwills, what was highly unlikely.  
"I assume that the two members that are currently suffering under the Spiral Mark are the remaining two that are not present, Den Fears and Zhalia Moon." Nasher spoke, his concerned dark eyes falling to Dante who in return gave the male a grim nod.

"We need to find a solution for our little problem, preferably fast." Metz spoke, his German accent lacing his voice. He knew just as well as the others that it would not be easy to think of a way to stop the Blood Spiral, for good.

"As far as I am concerned, there is not much that we know other then that the Blood Spiral has a new leader and that the Spiral Mark is active." Guggenheim spoke, interlacing his hands in front of him, his elbows resting on his desk.

"We will need to send someone to infiltrate the Blood Spiral, again." Uffizi concluded with a heavy sigh, causing both Lok and Sophie to tense.

They both knew who the council would most likely suggest and even though she was their best option, it would be even more dangerous to send her this time.

"The Blood Spiral would surely expect us to do so." Nashar spoke, clearly opposed to the idea of risking one of the Foundation members lives once again.

"There's nothing else we can do, Nashar. It's our only chance of finding out who the Spirals new leader is and what they are planning." Momax reasoned, his expression grave. He then turned to look at Dante. "What about Miss Moon? She infiltrated the Blood Spiral once more and managed to survive as well. We could send her again."

Dante's gaze instantly sharpened and Sophie openly frowned, showing her displeasure regarding the way he talked about Zhalia. Not only was she opposed to the idea of sending Zhalia again but also the way Momax talked about her surviving like it was something they didn't expect.

"They would remember her." Sophie curtly returned, intending to show her disapproval of sending her again. Not only because she was their teammate and barely made it out alive the last time but also because sending her for the second time would be even more dangerous.

"We could use a spell to change her appearance." A ginger-haired male spoke up, fingering his beard.

Sophie froze and shot Lok a glance, her emerald eyes gleaming with worry. By using the spell to change Zhalia's appearance it would be possible for her to sneak in without any problems and Sophie knew that if necessary, Zhalia would agree to infiltrate it once more.

"No."

The curt answer caused Lok and Sophie to look at Dante in surprise and confusion, as well as concealed relief. Dante's expression was relaxed, but his eyes were filled with anything but approval. He had let Zhalia leave once before because it seemed reasonable and it was her decision after all, but he would not let her go another time.

Regardless of their relationship, it was simply too risky to send her a second time, especially since the spell could have flaws. It was a strong spell and even though Zhalia would most likely be able to maintain it, there was no guarantee that they would look through the illusion especially since they were already expecting one of them.

"Why not?" Momax asked, clearly confused. He didn't see any flaws in his plan and seemingly didn't understand why Dante would not be content with it. She was a great spy and a strong seeker and he had already agreed to send her the first time, so why not now?

"Zhalia is still injured from the explosion of her apartment that I am sure you've already heard of. On top of that, the pain of the Spiral Mark only worsens her condition and it would take too long to wait until her recovery. We don't have that much time." Dante curtly reminded them, causing Sophie and Lok to inwardly sigh out of relief. No wonder that Dante didn't seem too concerned about their proposal, he already got most of it covered.

"Dante is right, we don't have that much time. I would have suggested Den Fears, but I take that he is in the same condition as Miss Moon." Guggenheim spoke, noticing that their options were very few.

"Do we have someone else who is capable of infiltrating the Blood Spiral without getting killed in the process?" The Russian council member inquired, leaning back in his seat with a sigh. The answer was rather obvious, but they still needed to find a way to get the needed information about the Blood Spiral.

"We do have trained seeker who would be capable of infiltrating the Spiral, but I would prefer to send someone of a higher rank that we are close to. That's why Miss Moon was the ideal choice, she was a member of Dante's team and a well-trained seeker." Guggenheim returned and Metz nodded, agreeing with his fellow German council member.

Dante inwardly smiled, glad that Zhalia's skills were recognized in the council. They always knew that she was a well trained seeker and after she successfully infiltrated the Blood Spiral her reputation only grew.

"I know someone who could do the job. He is a seeker of the Foundation and an old partner of mine who helped me getting the information regarding the Spiral Mark." Dante informed the council, taking the others by surprise.

Sophie and Lok didn't know much of Dante's past and old partners but if Dante was still in touch with him, they figured that he must be trustworthy.

"Is he trustworthy and skilled enough for a mission as important as this one?" The elderly women spoke, her voice firm. They could not make a mistake and if they were to chose the wrong person for this job, they would lose another one of them.

A smirk appeared on Dante's lips and the auburn haired seeker waved a hand as a matter not to worry about it. "He is." He assured them, and the mood instantly lightened. At least one worry was taken care of and until they would find out more, they could do nothing but wait and prepare for the worst to happen what in this case would be another war.

"What is his name?" Nashar asked, an eyebrow lifted out of curiosity. The others were equally as curious and were patiently waiting for Dante to reveal who he had in mind.

"William Nero."

Lok and Sophie exchanged a glance, not having heard of someone going by that name yet. Lok assumed that he probably was a Lone Wolf just like Dante had been but in comparison to him, didn't like to be in the limelight.

"Well then, it's settled. William Nero will be the spy that is going to infiltrate the Blood Spiral." Metz declared, a smile gracing his lips as he turned to look at Dante. "Dante, you'll be the one he sends his reports to then. I trust you to inform us whenever you find out something important."

Dante gave his old Mentor a nod in return and Metz returned his attention to the TV screen where the Council members seemed to be either close to falling asleep or checking their watches impatiently.

"Well then Ladies and Gentleman, that's all for now. I would just like to remind you that no one is to know about the Blood Spirals return until we find out more." Metz reminded the rest sternly, and they all gave a nod in return.

"The emergency meeting is officially over now. Have a nice day."

With that, the squares with the faces of the council members all disappeared one after one until there was none left and the TV screen turned dark once more.

Lok groaned and leaned his head back against the rest of the couch, rubbing his temples.

"I never knew that they were this stubborn and moody!" The blonde exclaimed, his expression holding a frown out of disbelief. That was certainly not the way he remembered the council and upon thinking back, he wondered how Dante managed to work with them.

Dante chuckled lightly in return, shaking his head with a small smile while Metz gave the teens a shake of his head.

"At least we managed to make some progress." Sophie sighed, clearly relieved that they would be able to get more information about the Spirals new leader and who they are up against in the first place.

"Yeah." Lok agreed, running a hand over his face."At least we don't have to send Zhalia a second time."

Dante gave them a curt nod, his expression relaxed. He as well was relieved that the other members of the council have agreed to trust him with William and that Zhalia didn't have to leave again for it would have been plainly foolish to do so.

Now, it meant waiting.


	25. Familiar Opponent

A/N: Oh man, it's been quite some time! I'm sorry but my laptop broke AGAIN and it took some time to fix it and meanwhile, I suffered under a heartbreak and yeah, I managed to update just now. I'm really sorry!

I already got the next chapter written so it should be up very soon. As always, thanks for your support and reviews, they mean the world to me, really.  
 _Guest:_ Thanks for always reviewing and encouraging me to update!

 _Sophia_ : Danke, ich bin froh dass du meine Story magst und hoffe, dass du auch weiterhin mit ihr zufrieden sein wirst:)

 _Amelia:_ Thanks for your reviews! It was a nice guess, and the connection between Will and Sara will be revealed in the next chapter!

Maryamdxz: Merci beaucoup!

 **Enjoy** and don't forget to **review**!

* * *

CHAPTER 25

"I think I'm doing it wrong." Sara sighed for what felt like the hundredth time this day. LeBlanche has been trying to teach her how to use Breakspell for the past three hours now but whenever she tried to summon it, nothing happened.

No spark, no weird tingly sensation, no adrenaline rush.

Nothing.

It was beyond frustrating and even though Sara was quite patient, it was starting to annoy her that there was not even the smallest sign that indicated that what she was doing was right.

"I don't think that what you're doing is wrong." LeBlanche commented, nodding to himself as he carefully took in Sara's tense posture.

She was sitting cross-legged on the couch and tried to focus with her eyes closed, a frown gracing her features. He could understand that she must feel frustrated because nothing had happened and the past hours seemed like a waste to her, but there was nothing that they could do about it.

Until now, Sara had learned how to use Boltflare, Everfight, a rather weak Armorbrand that Lok had briefly taught her and Everheal. Her body still had to adapt to the changes and the magic that she was now using, so it was no real surprise that it shut down and needed to re-charge in order for her to gather the energy needed to summon a new spell.

"What's this spell good for anyways?" Sara curiously inquired, now fully opening her eyes to reveal a pair of blue orbs that were filled with exhaustion.

Focusing on summoning a spell for three hours straight could drain quite some energy, even without actually using the spell itself.

LeBlanche folded his hands behind his back and gave her a small smile from where he was standing.

"Breakspell is a spell that breaks illusions, seals and enchantments." LeBlanche curtly informed her, tilting his head lightly to the side. "I have to admit that I thought that you'd master this spell just as fast as the others, if not even faster. I heard that you managed to unveil the barriers at your last mission, so I figured that this spell would only add to your talent of recognizing illusions and seals."

Sara nodded out of understanding, now equally as confused as LeBlanche was. If she really was skilled at breaking illusions even though she was only a beginner, this spell should be rather easy for her to master.

Maybe it was pure coincidence and a lucky strike that she managed to find the barrier on their last mission.

"Guess it was beginners luck." Sara breathed, feeling lightly disappointed with herself. Of course she couldn't expect to instantly master every spell their was and to be a prodigy, but how hard was it to master a spell like this?

She was at her full strength, has had enough sleep and was focused as well. It was quite unnerving that a spell as useful as this one was hard for her to master.

LeBlanche furrowed his brows, a look of disapproval entering his eyes. "To be frank, I don't think that it was beginner luck." He admitted. "Every seeker is specialized in some field and similar to Zhalia, I think that you will be skilled in the field of illusions."

Sara narrowed her eyes lightly, her eyes falling onto her lap. If LeBlanche's words were true and she really was more skilled at illusions, she was lucky that Zhalia was the one teaching her.

"I will never be as good as them though." Sara mumbled, her eyes falling onto her lap. She knew that in order to reach the teams level, she would have to train for years and if she were to stay with the team, she would always be the one that was a couple of steps behind and had to catch up, what was easier said than done.

"You wouldn't be in this team if they didn't see great potential in you, child." LeBlanche firmly reminded her. Sara's eyes snapped to his and a silent message passed between the two, causing the brunette female to give the butler a small, grateful smile that was accompanied by a curt nod.

There was no time for moping around. She was in this team for a reason and with the Blood Spiral being active, they would have to be in their best conditions.

All of sudden, a yell cut through the silence that formerly engulfed the two and Sara instantly stiffened, recognizing the voice in an instant. LeBlanche's concerned eyes met hers and instantly, Sara jumped up and rushed towards the guest room where Den was located at, followed by LeBlanche.

Together, the two of them reached the room in an instant and without hesitating, Sara threw the door open.

Her blue eyes widened at what she saw.

Den's body was tangled in the white sheets, writhed while he was clutching his right forearm as if his life depended on it. His eyes were open wide to reveal a pair of dark brown eyes while his mouth was lightly agape, pained huffs and muffled yells escaping his lips.

It was a sight that would haunt her for the next days.

Sara felt her heart clench out of panic as she was rooted to the spot, LeBlanche rushing past her to get to Den's side.

"Oh no." He breathed as he came to a halt next to the brunette male, his concerned eyes taking the boy in pain in with obvious concern.

"LeBlanche." Den croaked as he recognized him, a groan out of pain leaving his dry throat right after. His helpless eyes took in the blurry image of the elderly seeker that was standing next to him while he silently begged LeBlanche to help him, to do something to ease the blinding pain, but no word escaped his lips.

It felt as if his entire body was on fire, but he was freezing and unable to move as if he was paralyzed. Every muscle of his body ached and the blood in his vein was burning him from the inside, the adrenaline pumping loudly in his ears.

It was unbearable.

Another pained groan escaped him and that was enough for Sara to snap out of her trance. She looked at LeBlanche, not knowing what to do but unfortunately, he looked just as lost as she was feeling.

Sara took a couple of steps forward until she was standing on the opposite side of the bed, looking at her teammate with concerned eyes. She wanted to help so bad and yet, there was nothing that she could think of that would work.

"Isn't there a spell to numb the pain or something?" Sara asked, her heart skipping a beat as Den let out another yell. His breathing was labored and his pale face was covered in sweat, his entire body shaking hardly.

LeBlanche remained silent for some moments and Sara instantly noticed that he was thinking about something or rather, considering something.

So there was a way to stop this after all.  
"LeBlanche." Sara now wearily called, panic slowly taking over with every second that ticked by. If they wouldn't hurry, Den may pass out because of the pain again or worse, and that was something that they had to prevent at all cost.

LeBlanche then looked at Sara and opened his mouth to say something but all of sudden, the sound of the windows shattering broke through the thick silence that engulfed them.

Sara and LeBlanche's heads whirled around to look at the now broken windows of the room just in time to see five masked figures enter, clad in blood-red clothing that seemed eerily familiar to Sara.

They jumped through the now open windows and landed mere steps opposite from he and LeBlanche, who by now moved to stand in front of her.

"Kiel." LeBlanche muttered, openly frowning at the intruder. Sara eyed LeBlanche's back, trying to figure out who these masked people were but as soon as her eyes fell onto one of their exposed chest and a familiar mark caught her eyes, she felt her blood run cold and her eyes widen.

Spirals.

"Surprise." One of them spoke, his gruff voice causing goosebumps to cover Sara's pale skin. Her heart was hammering loudly against her rib-cage and she took a step back, eyes fixed on the one who spoke.

She never heard of someone named Kiel from Sophie who told her most things about the Blood Spiral but whoever it was seemed to be strong enough to cause LeBlanche to worry.

His expression didn't give it away, but the way he straightened his back and his jaw was clenched instantly alarmed Sara.

Kiel eyes then fell onto her, and a smirk tugged at his lips that caused Sara to gulp down the lump that had formed itself in her now dry throat.

He seemed intimidating and his mere gaze was enough to make the blood in her veins freeze, but it was when his gaze fell on Den and his eyes lightened up with something that Sara couldn't identify that she felt fear. Not for herself, but for him.

Without realizing what she was doing, Sara moved closer to the bed so that she blocked Den from his view.

Kiel's brow shot upwards, his smirk only broadening as his eyes locked with hers but Sara was determined not to back down, despite of the fear she was currently feeling.

She stubbornly held his gaze and for a moment, there was silence.

"Interesting." Kiel suddenly mumbled as he averted his eyes from the brunette female before he fixed them on LeBlanche. "I was here to pay the Casterwill girl a visit, but I guess that you will do as well."

With that, it all started in a heartbeat.

Kiel darted towards LeBlanche who swiftly avoided his kick, jumping out of the way just in time before Kiel's foot would have collided with his ribs, what would have certainly bruised a rip of LeBlanche.

Two of the Spirals were running straight towards Sara who took two steps forward, extending her hand and inwardly praying that it would work.

"Boltflare!" She called and watched how the spell hit a Spiral right into the stomach. He had obviously not expected her to shoot a spell at them, and Sara guessed that they probably didn't think that she would learn how to use spells this fast.

The Spiral she had hit with the spell crashed into the nightstand with grunt and for a moment, Sara felt the urge to smirk out of satisfaction.

Unfortunately, the other one didn't seem to be fazed by it for more than the split of a second for he reached her a moment later, his fist glowing in a black hue.

"Blood-cutter!"

Sara's eyes widened and she swiftly lifted her hands to summon Armorbrand, the barrier shielding her from the fist that came flying towards her. It collided with the shield of magic but since she still had some troubles with this spell, it was a weak barrier. Thus, she managed to block the fist and the spell but the force that the Spiral used was enough to make her stumble backwards with a pained huff.

Her back collided against the wall and she supported herself on the bed-frame that Den was still laying on, his body still writhed and only barely conscious.

Sara was just about to call another Boltflare when another Spiral appeared from behind her former attacker, his eyes glowing in a dark-red shade.

Her breathing hitched as she realized that she wouldn't manage to avoid that one and thus, she ducked out of instinct and kicked him right in the stomach.

Unfortunately, he managed to grace her cheek with the spell before he stumbled backwards from her kick, causing her to hold her cheek with a hiss.

"Sara!" Came LeBlanche's concerned yell, causing her head to snap to the right, where he was trying his best to avoid Kiel's attacks. This Kiel seemed to be quite strong, Sara noted, but LeBlanche was doing fairly well nonetheless.

Out of the corner of her eye she noticed that someone was charging towards Den who was holding his head by now, the pain having grown unbearable to the point that even the slightest sound was enough to add an infinite amount of pain.

Sara's eyes narrowed and she instantly jumped on the far end of the bed so that she was facing Den with her back, her cheek still bleeding and her arms extended.

"Oh no you don't!" She called, eyes burning with fury. These guys were downright evil and not only were they at fault for Den and Zhalia's pain, but now they were also trying to kill them for no real reason.

"Armorbrand!" Sara cried, feeling how the energy left her body from the tip of her fingers and created the familiar barrier. The two Spirals were hammering against the barrier and tried to use spells to weaken it while Sara was trying her very best to maintain it. Her entire body ached and her muscles hurt to the point where she was literally forcing her powers to leave her body in order to keep the barrier in place, but it proved to be harder than she thought.

The brunette felt her legs give in under the pressure and fell onto her knees, the soft material of the mattress cushioning her fall. The barrier was still in place but she knew that only one more spell was needed in order to break it.

By now, her heart was beating as fast as possible and her hands were shaking, droplets of blood running down her wrist due to the burning sensation of forcing the barrier. It caused her skin to lightly break and even though it hurt like nothing she had ever felt before, she was not going to give up that easily.

The two Spirals have seemingly noticed her struggle as well and stopped their attacks for a moment before they exchanged a knowing look that caused Sara to inwardly groan.

That meant no good.

Indeed, the next moment they were taking a step back and lifted their hands high into the air, a shining amber light appearing on the palm of their hands that seemed similar to flames.

With a smirk, her two masked attackers charged right towards her with their hand extended. Sara forced more energy into the barrier but as soon as their spells hit it, she felt it disappear. The spells hit her full force and caused her to fly right off of the bed and against the wall, the air getting knocked out of her lungs upon the impact.

Her eyes widened as she fell down onto the ground next to the bed and right into the splinters of the shattered window glass with a thud, her entire world spinning. Her hands were burning and felt like they were on fire whereas her head was pounding what caused her vision to blurry.

For the next moments, she felt herself unable to move due to the pain and heard a muted shout which she assumed was LeBlanche.

A whimper escaped her lips as she felt the metallic taste of blood enter her mouth and a pair of boots entered her vision.

She panicked.

"Everfight." She whispered under her breath and fortunately, felt the energy fill her body and ease the pain.

She chanted the spell a series of times before she felt the pain dull and her body numbing, what was better than the pain she figured. She could tell that she was still bleeding but at least she was able to move.

Ever so slowly, she rolled onto her stomach, wincing as she felt the splinters of glass scrape her skin and draw blood. She pulled her knees towards her stomach so that she was now kneeling on the ground, holding her pounding head as a wave of dizziness overcame her.

She opened her eyes after some moments to take in her surroundings and to her surprise, saw that Santiago had now joined them as well and was fighting three spirals at once, while one was already unconscious on the ground at the entrance of the room and LeBlanche was still fighting Kiel.

"LeBlanche!" Sara called in panic as she watched how Kiel kicked LeBlanche into the stomach what caused the elderly seeker to stumble backwards.

The gray-haired man looked at Sara with narrowed eyes as he held his stomach and avoided another spell that Kiel sent towards him.

"Sara, I need you to use the spell that I told you of on Den!" LeBlanche called, sending a Boltflare flying straight at Kiel who had dodged it with ease. It seemed like it all was a game to him and he was not even using all of his power against LeBlanche, what only worried Sara even further.

Sara felt a pang of confusion hit her as she took in LeBlanche's words. The spell didn't work when she tried to summon it during the past three hours, so why would it now?

Deciding that LeBlanche's words were to be trusted, Sara gave him a reluctant nod and forced herself to fully stand up. She leaned against the wall with her side and found Den still laying on the bed, the Spiral mark now burning more intense than before. Sara would have never believed to see a person in such pain and especially Den, who always hid his according to Sophie and Lok.

Deciding not to waste any more time, Sara hobbled to the bed and climbed onto it so that she was kneeling next to Den, who was still oblivious to her presence.

She lifted one hand and only then noticed the way it was covered in blood and shaking violently, just as Den's body did.

Everfight must have numbed the pain, but she was certain that once the effect of the spell faded she would have to undergo a couple of healing sessions to ensure that her hand wasn't broken.

She lifted her hand so that it was hovering over Den's that was holding the Spiral Mark on his forearm, trying to control the shaking of her petite hand.

She bit her tongue and laid her hand gently over his. As soon as her skin brushed against Den's she felt him jerk under her touch and inhale sharply, a pained grunt escaping his lips as his wide eyes darted to hers.

His pupils were dilated and the dark bags under his eyes were more prominent than they have been before, his entire face as pale as a sheet.

Sara felt her heart clench painfully as she realized just what pain he was in.

"Please." She whispered, slow enough so that he could read her lips. She tightened her hold on his hand and squeezed it gently, hoping that he would recognize her. "Let me help you."

For a moment she thought that he may not have understood her. In the state he was in it would be understandable and yet, she inwardly prayed that he would at least recognize her so that he would known that she would not harm him.

A moment later, she felt him relax under his touch and even though his chest was still falling and rising heavily, his eyes widened the lightest of bit, a look of recognition filling his eyes.

"Sara?" He spoke in a pained whisper and Sara nodded, relief flooding her senses as she gave him a small smile in return.

"Yes, it's me." She returned, her hand tightening around his. "I need you to trust me, if only this once Den." The brunette whispered, loud enough for his ears to hear.

Den gave her a nod that was followed by a pained groan and that was all Sara needed. She gently pried his hand off of his forearm so that his mark was revealed and at what she saw, she had to refrain from gasping.

The Spiral Mark was burning in a blinding red hue that illuminated his veins under his deadly pale skin. It emitted a heat that caused even Sara to wince and for a moment, she wished that she would be the one to have the mark so that she could take his and Zhalia's pain away.

The brunette female gave Den a soft glance out of the corner of her eyes before she covered his mark with her palm, wincing at the burning sensation that overcame her senses.

She forced her eyes to close and tried to concentrate on the task at hand, which was to summon the spell that LeBlanche had tried to teach her.

He had told her that he himself hasn't been able to master it just yet, what only caused her to worry even more but she knew that she had no choice, she just had to make it.

The pain was growing more and more intense and if that was only a tiny shred of what Den was currently feeling, she wondered how he managed to stay conscious.

It was beyond painful, even to her.

"Come on, come on." Sara chanted in a breathy whisper, her skin burning as she felt Den grab her wrist tightly with his other hand. She knew that they didn't have much more time left and thus, she pushed all energy she has had left into her palm and gritted her teeth. Her focus was on the Mark that burned beneath the flesh of her palm and as she visualized it, she felt it pound under her palm.

That was all she needed.

"Breakspell!" She called and with that, felt a sudden flood of energy rush through her veins. It entered her palm and with that, she felt a sudden sort pressure. It was as if she was pushing against something that refused to give in and pushed back just as hard but after some more tiring and exhausting moments, it happened.

It felt as if it simply disappeared into thin air, the pressure disappearing in an instant and with it, her energy. Her eyes shot open wide and she inhaled deeply, her shaking hand still tightly around Den's forearm. Her blue eyes turned to look at said male and to her surprise, she found him staring right back at him, his exhausted eyes not breaking the eye-contact.

Den was still breathing heavily but all the pain has vanished the moment the seal was broken, if only temporarily. He was still exhausted but due to the pain disappearing, felt more awake than before.

Sara offered him a weak smile before she closed her eyes again, much to his confusion. His tired eyes took in the way she was still clutching his forearm tightly and before he was able to realize what she planned on doing, it was too late for him to act.

"Everheal!" Sara called, the green hue engulfing his body and covering it like a warm and soft blanket. His eyes widened as he felt his energy return ever so slowly and his hand instantly shot out to stop her, sensing that she was at the brink of passing out.

"Stop." He croaked, his throat still dry as he pushed himself up onto his elbow, his hand tightening on her forearm.

The green hue faded and as soon as it did, Sara held her head with a groan. She barely had any energy left to stay conscious but she knew that Den was the better fighter out of the two and with her remaining energy, he would be able to help LeBlanche. That was LeBlanche's plan in the first place. He wanted her to break the Spiral Mark so that he could help them since things were looking bad and she, being a beginner only, couldn't do much.

Of course Den was still quite weak and yet, even in this condition, he was stronger than Sara was while she was in good health.

"Go, they need you." Sara mumbled, her blue eyes displaying the exhaustion she was feeling as her eyes locked with his. LeBlanche was only barely standing and while Santiago managed to knock two Spirals out, the remaining two were giving him a hard time as well.

Den felt beyond bad as he took in her exhausted state and even though he was in no matter condition than she was, he knew that she was right and that LeBlanche needed his help. He was surprised to see that the Spirals have managed to break the barrier but even more surprised upon seeing Kiel.

Den's eyes narrowed as he then looked back at Sara, a wave of guilt overcoming him. He would have to apologize and thank her later, that was for sure but for now, his help was required.

He reached out to place his hand on Sara's head, causing her to stiffen under his touch and turn to look at him with wide eyes. Den narrowed his eyes, noticing the way she flinched and his eyes softened as he realized that her reaction must have been because of the Spirals that have attacked and hurt her.

Did she actually think that he would hurt her?

"You helped me, now let me help you." He gently whispered and just as she realized what he was about to do, she heard him utter the familiar spell.

"Darksleep."

Sara felt her muscles relax and darkness crawl up her vision the instant his words have reached her ears until it blinded it whole, causing her to lose consciousness and feel the warmth that entered her system cover her.

Den caught Sara in an instant and gently lowered her onto the bed, a sigh escaping his lips. She was covered in blood and as pale as Cherit because she tried to defend and heal him, even after everything he had called and done to her.

The guilt he felt was starting to slowly eat him alive as he took in the way her long, brown hair was lightly tousled and her stomach was covered in scratches, just like her temple and busted lip were bleeding. Her hands were lightly burned as well and all in one, she was injured was because of these damn Spirals.

Now frowning, Den moved so that he stood next to the bed and with one last glance at Sara, he turned to look at the scene in front of him with narrowed eyes. Kiel was just about to fire a spell at LeBlanche who was on the ground and held his bleeding side as a cough escaped his throat, his eyes almost shut as he gazed up at Kiel, who was openly grinning.

Den, feeling the adrenaline pump through his veins, cracked his knuckles and growled lowly, fury flaring in his eyes.

"Nimblefire." He called as he rushed towards Kiel who had obviously not noticed that Den was now awake, thank to Sara, due to him being busy with LeBlanche.

"Dragonfist!" Den called and the moment the spell has passed his lips did his fist collide with Kiel's back, causing the tall man to fly against the wall face-first, a pained groan escaping him.

Den, however, gave him no time to recover and instantly charged towards him again, his blood boiling. He was the one who tormented Sophie, hurt LeBlanche and Sara and dared to attack them once more.

He would pay for that.  
"Boltflare!" Den called and the amber spell hit Kiel who was kneeling on the ground right on the back, causing him to stumble lightly forwards.

Den took some steps forwards until he was standing right in front of Kiel and kicked him in the stomach as hard as he could, causing the male to double over.

"Irongrip." Den muttered as he grabbed Kiel by the hem of his shirt and pushed him against the wall, his free fist burning in an amber hue as he felt his blood burning upon seeing bruised cheek.

"Dragonfist!"

With that, Den's fist collided with Kiel's jaw and a cracking sound reached his ears, indicating that he must have broken his jaw. Den was still quite exhausted and was shaking lightly, but he would not let Kiel go that easily.

He tried to hurt his family, and that was something he would never allow.

Kiel held his jaw as Den let go of him and the tall, bald man dropped onto the ground, only barely conscious.

Den, still not satisfied, was about to land one last hit on him but before he was able to do so, two Spirals appeared next to Kiel. Den's eyes instantly narrowed as he saw them but before he was able to do anything, they disappeared and with them Kiel.

Den growled lowly and turned around just to see that the remaining Spirals have disappeared as well, much to his dismay and relief. He would have liked to teach them a lesson that would cause them to remember not to mess with them anymore and yet, he was glad that they were out of danger.

Den's brown eyes fell onto Santiago who was wrapping his arm around LeBlanche's torso, his injury already healed thanks to Everfight, and helped him stand upright.

"Thanks boy." LeBlanche breathed, relieved to see that Den was well and unharmed. Den merely gave him a nod in return, glad to see that LeBlanche and Santiago were alright before he took in the devastated room.

If the Spirals managed to break the barrier of Sophie's mansion, they were not safe anymore especially if Kiel or the Blood Spiral was after Sophie again.

A sudden wave of dizziness overcame him now that the adrenaline disappeared and for a moment, Den felt like throwing up.

"Ugh." He muttered, holding his head tightly as he sat down onto the bed next to Sara's unconscious form, his head pounding heavily. He was far from healed and knew that Breakspell only managed to make the Spiral Mark disappear temporarily, but was grateful that he was free of the pain for some time.

"I will inform Dante of what happened, he will know what to do." LeBlanche suddenly declared, his voice as gentle as always. Den gave him a nod, mutely agreeing with him especially since it seemed like Lok and Sophie weren't here and instead, probably with Dante.

"You should rest, I will wake you two as soon as we figured something out." The elderly butler advised, causing Den to look at him with uncertain brown eyes.

The idea of resting was tempting but he knew that LeBlanche may need his help in case they decided to attack again or something else may happen.

At the look that LeBlanche shot him, however, Den knew that arguing and objecting would be of very little use and this, the brown haired male sighed and allowed his back to hit the mattress right next to Sara.

"Alright." He breathed, lifting his forearm to cover his eyes with it. "Wake me as soon as there are any news."

There were a few moments of silence until LeBlanche spoke again. "I will." He promised and with that, Den felt himself relax lightly.

Fortunately it was rather easy for him to fall asleep now that he was sure that his family was safe and out of harms way and with that, he allowed the tempting darkness to take over and lull him into a dreamless sleep.


	26. A father's death

**A/N:** Here you go, chapter 26! Enjoy and please **review**!

* * *

CHAPTER 26

Dante stood on the balcony of his bedroom and looked up at the midnight blue sky that was illuminated by the beautiful shining stars. It was a cloudless and lightly cold night, what was a rarity in Venice, but enjoyable nonetheless. The cold night air helped him to think straight and figure out what would be the best thing to do next because ever since a long time, Dante felt torn.

Now that his friend had left to infiltrate the Blood Spiral, they would have to wait until he would get some news from him. He had called William right after the council meeting ended and he, knowing how bad the situation was, promised to be a part of the Spiral within the next 24 hours in order to get information from the inside.

He was an excellent seeker and knew perfectly well how to act so Dante wasn't the least bit concerned about him getting exposed, it was highly unlikely.

What worried him the most was his team.

Zhalia and Den were suffering under the pain of the Spiral Mark that was burning on their forearms, Sophie was being targeted by Kiel again and Sara, Dante and Lok were the target of the Blood Spiral for obvious reasons.

Lok and Dante for their status and Sara for reasons that they have yet to find out, especially now that she as well got attacked by the Spirals.

LeBlanche has called around half an hour ago to tell him that Kiel and a group of Spirals managed to break through the barrier and attack them and to say that Dante was concerned would have been an understatement. Deep inside, he knew that it was only a matter of time until it would have happened, especially since the barrier that protected the Casterwill manor was weaker than his. Sophie was not strong enough to maintain the barrier at its fullest all the time and while she was gone, it was up to LeBlanche to keep it up.

Dante's barrier was stronger because he was more skilled and had the needed knowledge and experience. He knew what he had to do in order to keep it flawlessly in tact after all these years of practicing.

Sophie and Lok instantly rushed to the manor as soon as Dante told them the news to pack the most important belongings and get Den and Sara out of there before they would move into the mansion.

Yes, the entire Huntik team would live under his roof.

Dante couldn't say that he was screaming out of joy, but he wasn't mad or annoyed either. It was actually him who proposed the idea, since the Casterwill manor would now be easy to ambush. If they all were to live together, they could easily fight them off and with Dante's barrier they wouldn't have to worry about anything.

Besides, his mansion was big enough to harbor two teams and even LeBlanche and Santiago, but the two of them decided to stay at the Foundation HQ.

Things were starting to get dangerous for the entire team, and they needed to stay close. They wouldn't lock themselves into the mansion but they would have to be careful of their every step.

Whoever targeted them and lead the Blood Spiral was no fool, and Dante had a feeling that this very person may actually manage to make them fear for the lives of their loved ones.

Dante's eyes narrowed before he closed them and inhaled the cool air deeply through his nose, releasing a sigh through his mouth afterwards as he clenched his fists.

They managed to cause Zhalia pain, knowing that she was the most important person to him just like the rest of his team.

This person knew them too well, and it was killing Dante from the inside to admit that he was beginning to feel like he was falling behind and that his new opponent was catching up.

He hated to feel so weak and do nothing but watch how the one's he loved suffer with all his heart. If he could, he would take all their pain and worries just so that they wouldn't break their heads because of all of this. The team deserved to be happy, every single member of it did after all that happened and yet, fate seemed to mess things up once more.

Their happy ending was slowly starting to get out of reach, and Dante swore that he would do anything to protect it, even if it meant to give his life.

All of sudden, Dante felt the ghost of a touch on his shoulder and instantly tensed, not having heard her approach him.

Then again she was a spy, he should have expected no less from her.

He instantly relaxed as he felt her squeeze his shoulder gently and wordlessly lifted his hand to cover it with his warm one.

"Dante, worrying won't do any good." Her voice was soft and as always, had the ability of instantly warming his heart and easing the tight knot in his chest. She knew him better than he knew himself, and understood him, no matter the circumstances.

She was his better half, as cheesy as it sounded, and he would protect it with all his might.

"A storm is coming." Dante commented, his amber eyes still looking at the sky that was now covered in dark clouds, the air having grown lightly tense due to the change in weather. It was an innocent statement and yet, they both knew just what meaning his words held.

He heard her sigh.

"Let it." She sighed, now laying her free hand on his other broad shoulder from behind. "It will pass, even if it will last for some time."

Dante remained silent, knowing that her words were only the truth. She was not one to make empty promises and reassurances in order to calm others, especially him, and instead stuck to the truth. He knew that she was just as concerned as he was but she was right, worrying would do them no good. They were doing their best already and they would only know if it would be enough until the Spirals next strike, what would hopefully not even happen in the first place.

Within the blink of an eye, Dante turned around to fully face her visitor and as soon as his amber eyes met her hazel ones, he felt his chest warming up.

The way she innocently looked up at him, her eyes filled with understanding and compassion was only adding to her beauty, for she was beautiful in his eyes either way.

Her raven locks were lightly tousled and she was wearing the clothes Dante had provided her with, what in this case were a pair of black sweats and a white shirt that was lightly too big for her.

She looked as breathtaking in the rays of light the Moon emitted as she did in the broad daylight.

His amber eyes softened and Dante wrapped his arms around her waist pulling her against him so that their faces were only inches apart.

She didn't seem to mind though, since she seemed completely relaxed under his touch, not that he was surprised. It was pleasant to know that he could now embrace her whenever he wanted to, kiss her whenever he felt like it, and be with her all the time.

"Zhaal, shouldn't you be inside?" Dante mumbled, leaning his forehead against her hot one. She still had a light fever, but ever since Sophie used Breakspell and made the Spiral Mark disappear after LeBlanche told her it worked on Den, she was starting to gradually feel better.

At least now, without the pain that the Spiral Mark caused, Zhalia was able to regain some of her strength after she underwent a quick healing session with Sophie that helped her slowly regain her original strength. She would not be completely healed just yet, especially since she was still injured from the explosion, but it would only be a matter of time. That was, as long as the Spiral Mark wouldn't reappear anytime soon.

Zhalia gazed into his amber eyes, enjoying the warmth his body radiated off in waves and completely gave into the pleasant and calm feeling that settled itself in her gut.

She took in every inch of his familiar face and fought the sigh that dared to escape her lips as her eyes fell back to his.

He was the first man to ever make her feel this way, to capture her heart and yet, why did she feel like she would have to enjoy every second that she could spend with him because soon, he would be gone?

"I was wondering where you disappeared to all of sudden." She admitted, her expression hard and eyes firmly locked with his. She was worried, since every time Dante wandered of to think about something it ended with him either disappearing for hours, dying, or coming up with ideas that would make the first two options become reality as well.

Dante's gaze softened as he realized just what she was thinking and instantly felt guilty for causing her to worry.

"You know that I'll always come back, if only for you." Dante's voice was barely above a whisper, his carefully chosen words dripping with honesty. He would never leave her behind and force her to go through the pain of losing another person she deeply cared about, he wouldn't want her to be in pain just because of his disappearance or death.

Zhalia felt her heart skip a beat at his words, even if she didn't show it and pointedly tried to ignore it. He always had this effect on her, but she would not give him the satisfaction of knowing. No, she wasn't the giggly and blush-y type and would certainly never be. She wasn't afraid to display her feelings and emotions towards the ones she trusted, and that was all that mattered.

"Promise me." Zhalia breathed, her hazel eyes never leaving his beautiful golden orbs that seemed to draw her in. She needed him to promise it to her, to hear him say it out loud in order to feel at ease.

"I promise that I'll always come back for you Zhalia." Dante whispered without hesitation and before she was able to utter another word, captured her lips with his own ones.

As they sealed their promise under the moonlight with a passionate kiss, they both were sure about one thing.

They would do everything in their power to keep this promise.

X

"LeBlanche!" Sophie called as she stormed into the Casterwill manor, Lok following her like a shadow.

The two teens instantly rushed to the manor as soon as Dante told them what happened and during the entire way not a word was exchanged between the young couple. They were too occupied by their own thoughts and worries, especially Sophie ever since she heard that it was Kiel that attacked LeBlanche and the others.

Lok knew best that Sophie still had troubles dealing with the memories of her and Kiel's fights, what lead to the point that Lok couldn't even mention his name in her presence.

He would never forget the nights when he would hear Sophie's screams that came from her room due to her having another nightmare. As every night, he would jump up and rush to her room just to be greeted by the sight of a distressed and pained Sophie that was suffering under another one of her nightmares that included either Kiel or the day of their fight against the Blood Spiral.

On top of that, she was stressed because of her family and her duties as the leader of the Casterwill's, what only worsened it all.

Every night he would try to wake her, comfort her and wait until she would fall asleep again. Of course he had to suffer under the lack of sleep, but in his eyes it was his duty as her friend, boyfriend and champion. He loved her, and he was hurt by just seeing her hurting so the lack of sleep was something he would accept in a heartbeat if it meant that she would be free from her nightmares.

Fortunately, they eventually started to cease a month before Dante's return and yet, Lok was certain that they would start again after this very day.

All because of this damn Kiel.

"Lady Sophie, Sir Lok!" LeBlanche's voice echoed through the huge corridor that they were currently sprinting through before they reached the stairs, which they were running up at full speed. On the top of the staircase was LeBlanche, his gray hair a mess and his clothes lightly torn at some places. His eyes were displaying his exhaustion and yet the relieved smile that brightened up his face was genuine.

"LeBlanche!" Sophie's relieved call caused Lok's heart to clench as he watched how the young heiress flung herself at LeBlanche, pulling him into a bone crushing embrace. She seemed devastated and usually, Sophie wouldn't have hugged LeBlanche just because she felt like it. Sophie needed to ensure that the person she considered a father was really there and well, that he wasn't hurt and that he wouldn't leave her.

It was then that she realized just how close their new enemy managed to get to them, how easily they managed to break through the barriers they have put around themselves to protect them. _Literally_.

LeBlanche instantly returned the hug and sighed as he gently patted Sophie's head, comforting the pained girl in his arms.

His eyes then met Lok's and the elderly seeker gave the blonde haired seeker a smile, mutely thanking him for keeping Sophie and himself safe.

"I'm so glad that you and the others are okay!" Sophie exclaimed as she pulled away from the embrace and looked straight into LeBlanche's gray eyes, who in return offered her a reassuring smile.

"I'm relieved to see that the rest of you are well too." LeBlanche kindly returned as he indicated the two to follow him and together, the trio made their way towards the guestroom where Den and Sara were located at. "I actually feared that they would attack you next but fortunately, this seemingly wasn't the case."

"We should have stayed and maybe then, no one would be seriously injured." Lok sighed, his heart growing more heavy with every step they were taking towards the guest room.

LeBlanche eyed the Irish seeker out of the corner of his eye and shook his head, expression serious. "No, it was quite good that you two weren't here. This way, they didn't manage to harm you since you are their target." LeBlanche insisted and as they rounded a corner, the splintered wood of what used to be the door was covering the ground beneath their feet. "Besides, Me and Santiago are fine. Den is just exhausted and has to gather some energy again whereas Sara-" He paused for a moment to think back to the newest addition of the Huntik team.

She did everything in her power to protect them even if it meant to get herself killed in the process, and that was something that clearly proved just how fast the team and her powers have grown onto her.

"She'll be fine." LeBlanche eventually spoke after moments of silence. The team would have to take some rest in order to regain their power, as long as they could. Maybe they wouldn't even receive the opportunity to do so later, if one were to consider their current circumstances.

The team was being forced to watch their every step in case of an attack and there was nothing they could do but wait until they would find a solution for their little problem called the Blood Spiral.

LeBlanche then began to walk again until they entered the corridor that lead to the guestroom. Sophie instantly felt the hairs at the back of her neck stand up and goosebumps cover her pale skin as they were cautiously making their way towards the room, her heart growing heavier with each step they were taking. She sensed some sort of magic that was painfully familiar and the closer they got to the room, the more did her stomach turn and her heart clench.

The broad wooden door of the guestroom was closed, but it was a miracle that it was still in place in the first place. It looked like it was only barely in place and could fall off of its golden hinges at any moment.

Sophie suddenly felt Lok's familiar warm hand slip into hers, the gentle and genuine gesture making the nauseous feeling that the magic caused her fade lightly.

She held her head high and threw Lok a grateful look out of the corner of her emerald eyes as she felt him intertwine his hand with hers, his blue eyes looking right through her.

They held the eye contact for another moment before Lok forced himself to break it in order to look at LeBlanche, who had by then already stopped walking.

They were standing in front of one of the many guest rooms and with one reassuring look from him, the elderly seeker silently opened the door so that the three of them could step inside.

As soon as they did, Sophie felt her heart sink into her stomach as her wide orbs took in the devastated room.

The curtains were shredded into pieces, the large windows destroyed so that the splinters of the glass were covering the ground like a carpet. Burn marks were clearly evident on the creme colored walls and the couch was destroyed as well, just as the nightstand.

Her gaze then fell onto the large king-sized bed that was placed in the far back of the room and she could instantly make out the faces of her two teammates.

There they were, laying in the bed next to each other sound asleep and covered in bruises. Sophie felt Lok squeeze her hand comfortingly as she took a step closer to them so that she could take a better look at them.

Her heart made a painful skip as she looked at the two. They were laying next to each other, a small distance between them while they both were facing each other with their arms tucked beneath their heads as a a pillow. Their eyes were closed and their breathes were even and whereas they were not touching each other, Sophie couldn't help but wonder how _close_ the two seemed.

Den never liked to sleep close to anyone since he was quite a light-sleeper after all that happened, but it seemed like he was perfectly fine and sound asleep in Sara's presence.

The brown haired boy had dark circles under his eyes that were quite prominent on his pale white skin and a cut grazed his temple. His hair was lightly messy and whereas he didn't seem injured at all, he looked beyond exhausted.

Then there was Sara, who in comparison to Den looked like she just barely managed to get out of the fight alive.

Her lower lip was lightly busted and a cut graced her cheek, dark circles that seemed similar to Den under her eyes while her bloody hands were peeking through her long brown locks that were sprawled around her. Her shirt was torn at her stomach and a series of cuts were visible, just like a light burning mark was visible at her ribs.

The poor girl seemed to have had it worst.

"She was the one that defended Den while me and Santiago fought Kiel and some Spirals." LeBlanche spoke behind them, as if he had read her thoughts. His gaze was filled with sadness and the silence that followed his words was suffocating.

"On her own?" Lok asked, his voice laced with concern and only barely above a whisper. If what LeBlanche said was true, then even he himself would have troubles fighting the spirals. Lok had also noticed that the spirals have grown to become noticeably stronger, and they have been quite strong before already.

Sara, an inexperienced seeker that never had to actually fight someone in hand in hand combat, had to fight not only one, but multiple Spirals on her own in order to protect her comrade.

"She did quite well actually." LeBlanche commented, a sigh escaping her lips. "But unfortunately, she was outnumbered and they were stronger than they have been before. She didn't stand a chance against more than one and even though she knew, she tried her best until the very end."

Sophie suddenly felt a wave of guilt flood her and she squeezed Lok's hand tightly, her free hand balled into a fist.

She should have stayed with them and maybe then she wouldn't have gotten hurt and had to protect Den on her own.

"How did you break Den's Spiral Mark?" Sophie inquired, her voice low so that she wouldn't wake the two sleeping seekers.

"Sara did it. It was not easy and she was at her limit, but she managed to push her very last bit of energy and power into breaking Den's seal nonetheless." The gray haired seeker replied, a small sad smile touching his lips. "She fell unconscious and Den took care of Kiel thanks to Sara healing him."

Sophie gave him a mute nod and loosened her fist. She owed Sara big time for keeping LeBlanche and the rest safe while she couldn't, and she would thank Sara for doing so later as well.

"We should wake them. The sooner we get out of here, the better." Lok reminded them, his expression serious and blue eyes hard. Sophie nodded her head in agreement and carefully moved over to the side of the bed that Den was laying on before she gently placed her palm on his shoulder.

The moment her palm touched his shoulder-blade was the moment that she found her wrist in a strong and rather tight grip, much to her surprise. Her emerald eyes snapped to Den's face just to his wide and confused brown orbs looking at her in alarm.

He then swiftly averted his gaze and Sophie watched how his eyes snapped to the sleeping girl laying next to him before he lightly relaxed, his grip on Sophie's wrist loosening lightly as he realized that they were not under attack.

"Den, it's us." Came Sophie's gentle whisper, her voice low as if not to alarm him. "It's time to leave."

Den, who was by now looking at her again, needed a moment to regain his thoughts before he fully released Sophie's wrist and run a hand over his exhausted face, a breath passing his lips.

"It's getting worse each time." Den mumbled, closing his eyes for a brief moment. Sophie's expression softened whereas Lok averted his eyes from Den, a knowing look entering his blue orbs. Den was right, it was getting worse each time they woke. The pain and worry increased, the hope of managing to get out alive ceased, and the will to go on was fading just as hard.

But that's what made them special. Even if they had no more power to go on, they kept on pushing forwards and themselves to the limit and point where they would need to give their all in order to win.

He just hoped that they would managed to succeed this time as well.

Den opened his eyes once more before he forced himself to properly sit up, his still lightly sleepy eyes falling from LeBlanche to Sophie, and then to Lok.

"Did you pack your things yet?" He inquired, rubbing his right eye with the heel of his hand in order to clear his vision.

The blonde male shook his head in return. "We wanted to wake you guys first." Lok spoke, his eyes then falling onto Sara's unconscious form. Den's eyes followed his gaze until he as well was looking at the brunette female. His heart gave a small clench as he took in her still exhausted and bruised form while his eyes softened. He should have been stronger. He failed to protect his teammate, the one that trusted him to protect her even if this once only.

Den was sure that she would be quite pissed as soon as she would wake up. After all, Den and her haven't been on the best terms as of lately and now, he failed to protect her as well. He was unable to do so because of the Spiral Mark, yes, but she was his responsibility for he was the only one of their team that was with her.

It was his duty to protect her from the moment Sophie and Lok left to go to Dante until they would return.

And he failed.

"Let her sleep, she needs it." Den muttered, averting his eyes from her face. The guilt was increasing and leaving her to rest was the least thing he could do after all she had done. "Let's just pack out things and leave. Sophie, could you please pack her things as well?"

Sophie eyed him for a moment, as if she was trying to read him, before she gave him a nod.

"Of course." She spoke, her voice dropping an octave lower as a spark of sadness entered her eyes. "Let's pack our things and leave."

X

Dante and Zhalia have been sitting in the living room for the past half an hour. The auburn haired seeker was in front of his Holotome and went through some data that contained confident information while Zhalia, who was sitting at the far end of the couch, was in front of her phone and checked her mails for any messages from Guggenheim or any other council members.

At first, nothing seemed out of the ordinary, that was until she stumbled across a mail from Metz that left her frowning.

There was no subject and when she wanted to open it, her display turned blue and a white text ordered her to verify that it was indeed Zhalia on the phone by swiping her thumb over the home button.

Zhalia felt something heavy settle itself in her chest and couldn't help but wonder what could be secretive enough for Metz to verify that it was indeed Zhalia before she could read the mail. It wasn't like she would give her phone to someone else.

Thus, the bluenette swiped her thumb over the home-button as she was told and after a small noise that confirmed that it was her emitted from her phone, the message opened.

Oh how she wished it didn't.

" _Zhalia,_

 _I apologize for bothering you at this hour, but I have to tell you something of high importance._

 _Dante just informed me that Sophie broke the Spiral Mark, and I am relieved to hear that you and Den are both out of danger, if only temporarily._

 _However, as much as I would like to leave you to rest, especially since you just woke up and are probably tired, the following is a matter that I unfortunately have to instantly inform you about._

 _Two hours ago, I have received a call from our colleges in Vienna, the one's that guard Klaus._

 _Somehow, someone managed to break into the prison at night and broke into Klaus cell._

 _When we found him this morning, the attacker left and we were already too late. I am beyond sorry to tell you that Klaus didn't survive and was already dead by the time we arrived._

 _We are still investigating the case but as for now, we strongly suspect that it was a member of the Blood Spiral who killed him._

 _You have my deepest condolences. Please contact me if you need anything or have any further questions. I will do whatever I can to help and answer you._

 _The funeral will be held at the end of the week on Vienna's central cemetery. I will send you the exact date and time on Friday, latest._

 _Stay safe._

 _-Metz_

Zhalia re-read the mail twice, every word and line burning itself in her memory as she tried to process just what exactly she was just reading. Her heart was clenching tightly in her chest and she felt the blood run cold in her veins, her knuckles turning white from the tight hold she was having on her phone.

This couldn't be true, this had to be a bad joke. Klaus couldn't be dead, he was in one of the most secured prisons in Vienna, she herself ensured the security of the facility the last time she had visited him.

So many thoughts entered her mind that were followed by thousands of questions. Who, when, how, _why_?

 _Because they want to get to you._ Her consciousness responded. _That's what you get for betraying both the organization and the Blood Spiral._

Zhalia knew that she was right. They were trying to make her life as miserable as possible and how else would they do so if not by taking away the people she cared about one by one?

Of course she still thought that what Klaus did was wrong, but she couldn't possibly hate him either. He gave her a home and warm meals when no one else would. He was her adopted father and taught her a lot and now, he was dead.

Because the Blood Spiral tried to get revenge.

First, there was a painful emptiness that settled itself in her chest and stomach before she suddenly felt nauseous and was flooded by a rush of sadness.

It was one of the very rare times that she had to force herself to remain calm and keep her indifferent mask in check while all she wanted was to punch the nearest wall and cry out at the top of her lungs.

"Zhaal, what's wrong?"

Zhalia's head snapped up at a speed that could have easily snapped her neck into two as she found Dante looking at her from the other end of the couch with concerned eyes. His amber orbs were shining with concern and for a moment, Zhalia didn't know what to do.

If Metz told Dante, he wouldn't have kept it a secret from her and told her instead of Metz. He would have his reasons for not telling Dante, Zhalia figured that Metz probably thought that Dante would worry about Zhalia too much and probably wouldn't concentrate on work either. What made sense and thus, Zhalia forced herself to bite on her tongue in order not to let anything slip.

Truthfully, she wanted to tell Dante more than anything else right now and yet, something held her back. Maybe the fear that if she would say it out loud, the realization that Klaus was indeed dead and this was the reality was the truth would hit her all at once.

"I-" Zhalia hesitated, something she rarely did, before she averted her eyes from his. She feared that if she would keep the eye-contact, he would find something that she was so desperately trying to keep buried in her heart.

Dante's amber eyes hardened out of concern and he put his Holotome on the coffee table in front of them before he moved closer to her and gently held her chin, making her fully look at him.

As soon as her glassy hazel eyes met his amber ones did Dante genuinely feel surprised, worried and confused all at once.

The sadness and pain that filled her brown eyes was unbearable even to him. A moment ago she seemed fine, what happened that put her into so much emotional pain?

"What happened?" Dante asked, his voice gentle and cautious. He knew that an emotional Zhalia was unpredictable. In situations like this ones she always liked to keep herself distanced from the others in order to figure out whatever was bothering her on her own.

Not this time, Dante would make sure of it.

Zhalia remained silent for a moment and simply gazed into his eyes, genuinely not knowing what to do. She knew that if she would tell him, she would feel lighter but then he would worry and would focus on consoling her only instead of doing his work. She didn't want to burden him with her problems as well and Klaus tried to kill Dante before, so why would Dante care about Klaus's death?

Zhalia took a deep breath and closed her eyes, inwardly forcing herself to calm down. "Nothing." She spoke, trying herself to refrain her voice from breaking. "Nothing happened."

She didn't even have to open her eyes to know that Dante was frowning out of disapproval. She knew that he wouldn't believe her, but she didn't say that nothing happened for him to believe it, but for him to understand that she didn't feel like talking to him about it just yet.

A heartbeat later, Zhalia heard the front door open and couldn't help but heave an inaudible sigh of relief at the teens timing. She opened her eyes to see that Dante was still gazing at her with hard eyes that told her that this matter was not done yet and that they would talk about it sooner or later.

Zhalia preferred the latter.

A few moments later, Lok was the first one to enter, carrying a small dark blue suitcase and a backpack. Sophie followed right behind, carrying a rather large suitcase and a pink backpack while a rather defeated looking Den was only carrying a small black rucksack himself. The last one to enter the picture was Sara, who looked far from alive. She looked as pale as a sheet and was covered in bruises all over her face and body, a bag slung over her shoulder.

Dante stood up and Zhalia could see the way his eyes softened as he looked at his team. The usually optimistic and energetic teens that kept the team motivated and alive were now silent and in pain. He felt like he had failed as a team leader. It was his duty to protect them and ensure their safety and happiness after all and yet, now that he looked at them, he realized in just what kind of situation they were in.

It looked really bad for the team.

"You four can occupy the entire third floor." Dante informed them, a small-sad smile crawling onto his lips. "My home is your home, team."

Lok gave Dante a grateful smile and inclined his head lightly, his eyes shining with sincerity. "Thanks Dante, for everything." He returned, his voice soft and genuine.

Dante merely shook his head in return. "Don't thank me, it's the least I can do. If not even too little." Dante exhaled deeply and Sophie took a step forwards, her tired emerald eyes meeting his amber one's.

"You did more than enough Dante. Thank you for looking out for us." Sophie spoke, the smile on her lips lightning up her exhausted green orbs.

Dante gave her a nod in return before his eyes fell on Den, who was looking straight at Zhalia, a frown gracing his expression. It seemed like he as well had noticed that something was off with Zhalia, and it has only been exactly thirty seconds ever since they entered his mansion.

His team looked beaten and exhausted.

"Well then, we'll unpack and go to sleep I guess." Lok spoke and as if on cue, a yawn escaped him. The blonde lazily attempted to cover it up but failed miserably, causing Sophie to shake her head at her boyfriend. "See you tomorrow morning then?"

Dante and Zhalia both nodded and with that, the four took off upstairs without another word. Den shot Zhalia a side-long glance that suggested that she better be alright whereas Sara looked like a walking ghost that was simply following the others.

Zhalia made a mental note to check on her regarding her injuries and report as to what exactly happened tomorrow morning.

She was her mentor after all and Sara was her responsibility.

A sigh escaped her lips as clenched her fist tightly. She just hoped that she would be able to get a wink of sleep this night after the news that she received. She already knew that she would spend the night laying wide awake in her bed, but it was worth a try in order to at least pass some hours without the painful clenching of her heart whenever she thought of Klaus death.

"I will go to bed as well." Zhalia muttered, standing up from the couch. Dante turned to fully look at her, his amber eyes silently pleading her to tell him what was bothering her but as much as it hurt her, this was something she couldn't tell him.

Not yet.

Zhalia slowly started to make her way towards the stairs and as soon as she walked upstairs, she paused mid-way. She felt his gaze burning through the back of her skull and slumped her shoulders, lowering her head in the process.

"I'm sorry." She whispered, knowing that Dante has heard I before she left for her room and disappeared out of his sight.

As soon as Dante was sure that she was in her room, he ran a hand over his face and exhaled deeply, the unsettling feeling in his gut not disappearing. His team was an emotional and physical wreck, Zhalia was facing some problems on her own and didn't want him to know whatever it was, and he himself was pretty beaten as well.

He just hoped that the next day would be better but now, all he could do was hope and wait. He sat back down onto the couch and placed his Holotome onto his lap before he once more opened it and scanned the files with his attentive eyes.

While his team was upstairs sleeping, he was trying to find a solution for their problem called the Blood Spiral. It would be hard, but he was confident that he would manage to find a way to destroy them once and for all if he only focused.

The most important thing was that his entire team was with him and safe, and that was all that mattered to him at the moment.

He would find a way for them to make it, he had to.


	27. Revelation and Mission

A/N: It took me days to write this on my phone. It was a pain and I already miss my laptop. I apologise for not being able to reply to you reviews or messages but my phone doesn't notify me properly.

I am sorry if there are a lot of mistake's regarding the grammar or spelling. As I said I am updating from my phone and it's a pain in the Ass.

Hope you like it nonetheless and please review!

* * *

She was running as fast as she could, her heartbeat echoing loudly in her ears. The adrenaline that was rushing through her veins lend her the needed bit of power to summon Nimblefire and with the help of the spell, her speed increased.

Her green eyes were wide as she forced herself not to turn her head to look over her shoulder and instead, not to avert her eyes from the door at the end of the corridor.

Her breathing was labored and her lungs felt as if they were burning with every breath she was inhaling, the clenching sensation in her chest as the door grew closer and closer.

It was closed and in comparison to the plain black colored corridor, seemed rather familiar.

"Sophie!" The shout came from somewhere in front of her and the caramelette knew that if she would stop running, she would be too late.

Dread flooded her senses and by now, her legs were already feeling numb due to the speed she was running at.

The door started to gradually grow closer and Sophie fought the urge to smile out of relief.

They were not safe yet.

She reached out towards the door before she grabbed the wooden knob and threw it open, her wide eyes instantly scanning the pitch dark room that was illuminated by the orange and red flames that were filling the room.

Sophie froze in place, the familiar sight causing the blood in her veins to freeze and her heart to skip a beat.

This was her parents bedroom, and it was on fire.

Too shocked to move or to act, all Sophie could do was stare at the flames that were slowly engulfing all the furniture and items in her parents room at once in fear.

"Sophie, dear!" Came a croaked shout that instantly caught her attention.

Sophie's head whipped to the right while her emerald eyes roamed the room in hope of finding the source of the sound or rather, blame her mind for playing tricks on her and convince herself that it was only her imagination.

Unfortunately, in the far right corner of the room did something catch her eyes and as soon as it did, her heart clenched tightly in her chest.

There was her mother, kneeling behind a pile of burning wood that created a barrier between the two of them. Her long caramel blonde hair was a mess and her pale face was covered in ash, her green eyes filled with panic while she was coughing hardly.

"Mother!" Sophie called, taking two steps inside but as soon as she did, the flames grew as if someone had just fueled them.

Out of reflex, Sophie took a step back and returned her gaze to her mother, who had also caught sight of her now.

Their eyes met and for a moment, Sophie felt her entire world spin. Her mother's face was tear stricken and as soon as her gaze dropped, Sophie noticed that her mother was holding onto something or rather, someone.

Her emerald eyes widened out of sheer shock and her hand flew to cover her mouth to prevent the scream to pass er lips.

Laying in her mother's arms was her father, eyed closed and face covered in bruises. From what she was able to make out from her position it seemed like his side was covered in burning marks and his torso was covered in blood, just like her mother's shaking petite pale hands.

He was dead.

Sophie's eyes snapped back to her mother's. "No." She whispered, the tears falling freely.

This couldn't be true, it had to be a nightmare. It couldn't be happening right now.

"Sophie, go find LeBlanche and get out of here!" Her mother called, holding the body of her dead husband closer to herself as the flames were starting to creep towards them.

"No, I won't leave you alone!" Sophie protested, walking right towards the flames.

She could already feel the heat they emitted and as soon as she was close enough to the fire, she called Honorguard.

Nothing happened.

"What?" She whispered in shock before she felt a pang of panic fill her. Why wasn't it working?

"Honorguard!" Sophie called, taking a step back as she felt the flames inch closer to her but again, nothing happened.

"Sophie your spells are useless against his, it's no use. Now hurry and get out of here before he finds you!" Her mother called, her voice holding authority as well as urgency.

Sophie frowned and wiped away her tears with the sleeve of her top.

"No, I refuse to leave you. Not again!" Sophie stubbornly returned but as soon as these words left her lips, she saw her mother's eyes widen.

"Sophie, you need to go, now!" Her mother yelled, a cough following as Sophie watched the flames engulf her and her father's corpse.

She refused to let her mother die in front of her eyes if she could prevent it. She couldn't, not again.

"Lady Sophie, there you are!" Came a male voice from behind and Sophie instantly tensed, her head whipping around to see Santiago standing in the doorway, his forehead covered in a layer of sweat.

"Santiago-" She started but before she Could end her sentence, a blood curling scream interrupted her.

Sophie turned her head and watched in horror how the flames were beginning to reach her mother and slowly burn her clothes and with them, her skin.

"Mother!" Sophie screamed at the top of her lungs, her blood freezing and the tears soaking her face.

She darted forwards without a second thought, ready to run through the flames and save her mother but before she was able to do so, she felt a strong pair of arms wrap themselves around her waist.

She turned her head to look at Santiago who was pulling her back, his own face filled with pain.

"Come on Lady Sophie, we have to get out of here!" He yelled, his iron grip on Sophie not loosening despite of her struggling against him.

Sophie looked at him with a tear stricken face, wide and confused eyes watching her bodyguard as she struggled to get free.

"Santiago, what are you doing? We have to save her or she will die!" She screamed in confusion, the ugency in her voice loud and clear.

Santiago, however, merely averted his eyes from hers and lifted Sophie so that she was slung over his shoulder, much to her horror.

Another scream.

"Santiago, let me go! Please, we can't leave her!" Sophie called, struggling like a madman against his grip.

Her heart was hurting as if someone had just shot her and her mother's screams were still echoing loud and clear in her ears.

Santiago ignored her desperate pleas and left the room in a rush without turning back, a crying and protesting slung Sophie over his shoulder.

They passed the burning living room and rushed out of the burning mansion through a broken window, Santiago easily avoiding cutting himself or Sophie on the broken window glass.

They then reached the backyard where LeBlanche and Lucas were already standing, LeBlanch's expression filling with relief as he caught sight of the two.

"Thank Casterwill, I was afraid that you two wouldn't make it out in one piece!"

His words reached Sophie's ears and whereas she was glad that her brother and LeBlanche were alright, she couldn't forget her mother.

"Put me down." She hoarsely whispered, her throat sore due to the screaming.

"Put me down this instant!" She repeated, starting to struggle one more and this time, Santiago let her down.

She landed in her feet and pushed her concerned bodyguard away from her, her wide eyes filled with anger and pain as she looked at them.

"We could have saved her! What the hell were you thinking?" Sophie screamed, pointing an accusing finger at Santiago who in return lowered his head in Shame.

"We couldn't have saved her, Lady Sophie" He whispered, voice not wavering. "Her last orders were for you to leave the mansion, and it was my duty to fulfill these orders."

Sophie felt a hot pang of fury hit her heart and she shook her head, covering her ears with her palms to block out his words.

"Shut up." She whispered, eyes shut close. "Shut up!" The pinkette sunk onto her knees, the sight and screams of her mother and father forever burned into her memories.

It was because of her that they died, because she wasn't strong enough. It was starting to rip her apart from the inside and her body was starting to shake because of the sobs.

She just lost her parents in the fire.

"So you managed to survive a second time little Casterwill girl? Tsk, and here I was hoping you would die with the rest of your pathetic family."

Sophie's blood froze in her veins as the familiar voice reached her ears and her heart skipped a beat, eyes snapping open.

Standing in front of her was none other than Kiel, grinning down at her.

Sophie's eyes widened and just then did she notice that she was no longer in her backyard and instead, on the battlefield back then when they were fighting the betrayer. Only this time it was empty with the only ones present being herself and him.

"You." She whispered, slowly rising onto her feet.

It took her some moments to realise what was going on before she clenched her fists tightly, fury filling her green eyes.

"Missed me?" Kiel inquired, giving her a toothy grin while his eyes were filled with a dark sparkle.

"You killed me parents and on top of that, attacked LeBlanche and the others!" Sophie called, tears rolling down her face. "How dare you show your face once more?"

Kiel merely chuckled at Sophie's words and shook his head, his grin not fading.

"You will never learn, will you girl?" He drawled, his eyes shining in a menacing red hue. "I won't rest until I have you burned to death by my very own flames, just like your parents were."

Sophie's eyes widened at his words and she narrowed her eyes, growling lowly.

Her stomach was turning at his words and her heart clenched out of fear as well as fury but of course, she wouldn't let it show.

"I will ensure that you will pay for everything you have done to me and my family Kiel." She hissed and with that, charged towards him.

He didn't move an inch and as soon as she was within reach, snapped his fingers.

Sophie instantly froze in place as if she was rooted on the spot and grabbed onto her chest with wide eyes.

Her entire body was starting to grow hot and soon, it felt as if she was getting burned all over her body.

A yell out of pain passed her lips as she felt her skin stinging as she fell onto her knees, the burning sensation growing more intense with every second that ticked by.

It was unbearable and Sophie gazed up at Kiel with wide eyes, her mouth opened as a silent scream passed her lips.

All he did was watch her carefully, enjoying every second of her agony before he grinned.

"Mark my words Casterwill girl, you shall die at my hands." He spoke, voice hard. "Very soon."

With that, her entire world turned black.

-X-

Her eyes shot open wide and she sat up with a scream, clutching onto the blanket tightly.

Her entire body was covered in cold sweat while she was breathing heavily, eyes taking in her surroundings in panic and fear.

Darkness surrounded her and due to her eyes having to adjust to the blackness, her vision needed some moments until it cleared.

"Soph, thank goodness." A voice whispered, causing her eyes to snap to her left before she found herself staring into a pair of familiar blue eyes.

That's when it clicked, and she felt her entire world come to a halt and everything come back.

It was a dream.

She was at Dante's mansion, and it was just another nightmare.

"Lok?" Sophie whispered, her voice breaking. Her throat was starting to close again and before she could react, felt him pull her into his loving arms.

"It's alright, I am here now." Lok whispered into her hair and that was enough for Sophie to break.

She hesitantly lifted her arms until she tightly wrapped them around his torso, burying her face into his shoulder.

She held onto him as if her life depended on him and eventually, the tears starting to fall.

Her heart was aching and she pulled him closer, her body slowly beginning to shake due to her sobs.

Lok tightened his grip on her and softly shushed her, his heart breaking into pieces upon hearing her soft sobs.

"I'm here, it's over now." Lok softly whispered, stroking her hair gently.

Sophie in return remained silent and continued to let her tears fall freely, her heart not being able to take any more.

Lok sighed, his eyes softening. It seemed as if the nightmares returned after yesterday's event and he knew best that once they returned, it would be hard to get rid of them again.

Shifting Sophie lightly, he moved so that he laid down onto his back on Sophie's bed, pulling Sophie down with him so that she was laying on top of him.

Lok pulled the covers over the two of them and didn't loosen his grip on Sophie, the young Casyerwill heiress still shaken.

Silence filled the room for the next few minutes with the only sound being Sophie's soft sniffing and hiccups.

Eventually, she stopped crying but didn't loosen her grip on him.

"I'm sorry Lok." She whispered, her face still buried in his shoulder. "I tried, I really did."

Lok kissed her temple and sighed, his grip on her tightening.

"I know Soph, I know." He returned, his heart clenched. He hated to see her like this, so vulnerable and broken.

He wanted to take all of her worries and pain away, keep all harm away and just let her rest for once.

She didn't deserve all of this, she deserved better.

"Sleep, I'll stay the night." Lok promised, his voice low and barely above a whisper.

He couldn't leave her like this and wouldn't until he was sure that she was alright.

He would make sure that she would not suffer any longer, even if it meant that he would have to give his life.

-X'

Zhalia woke up with the worst headache there was. Her eyes were feeling sore from staying awake most of the night and her entire body was aching due to her moving around most of the time in hope of finding a comfortable position that she could fall asleep in.

In vain.

She got two hours of sleep only and felt like she had been awake for the past week, what was more or less accurate anyways.

Yesterday's news have given her the blow she needed in order for her to be close to losing it. It took her a lot of willpower not to break down this very night but she was stronger than that, or so she told herself.

It took her some time to actually realise and take in the news but as soon as it sunk in, she felt sick.

The person that came closest to a father was murdered because people wanted to get revenge on her. Even though he wasn't the best of person either and deserved to get locked away in prison, no one had the right to kill him.

They knew that by killing Klaus, they would get revenge on Zhalia and whereas this was true, Zhalia was smarter than to leave the team in order to get revenge on the Blood Spiral and organisation like they probably expected her to.

She wanted nothing more than to do so, and she had actually considered to do so but in the end, decided against it for obvious reasons.

It would only make it worse.

She would make sure to make them pay but as for now, it simply was not time for payback yet.

Kicking the blanket off of her body, Zhalia run a hand over her face before she stood up and made her way to the bathroom. She took a rather long shower, changed into her usual attire and freshened up.

As soon as she exited the bathroom, she glanced over to her nightstand to have a look at the clock.

It was only ten in the morning and she was already wide awake.

She always woke up early but as for today, she would have liked to lock herself into her room for the rest of the day.

Doing so however would gain the attention of the others what would cause them to grow suspicious and eventually lead them into finding out what happened and that was something Zhalia didn't want. At all.

Shaking her head to herself, Zhalia left her room and made her way downstairs, just to be greeted by the smell of freshly brewed coffee.

She already knew who else would be awake at this hour and slowly made her way down the stairs and straight to the kitchen, just to confirm her suspicions.

Sitting on the already set dining table was Dante, reading a newspaper and sipping on his cup of coffee.

"Morning Zhaal." He greeted her without looking up, causing her to lift a brow at him.

She wasn't surprised that he knew that it was her and rather, why he seemed so focused.

Was the newspaper that interesting all of sudden?

"Morning." She slowly returned as she walked over to the kitchen counter to get herself a cup of coffee.

"Slept well?" Came Dant's innocent question and Zhalia tensed, hesitating as she grabbed one of his cups from the cupboard.

"I did." She replied, voice barely above a whisper as she inwardly cursed herself for getting caught off guard by him. "You?"

Dante merely hummed in return while Zhalia poured herself some of the black liquid into the cup.

"I did." He answered, turning the page of the newspaper. "Until I heard Sophie screaming."

Zhalia froze in place just as she was about to add some milk into her coffee. She frowned as she heard Dantes words and now turned around to look at him, her coffee long forgotten.

"They returned?" Zhalia asked with a concerned frown, not liking what she was hearing. She as well knew of Sophies nightmares after their fight against the betrayer but to hear that they have returned was anything but pleasant.

She knew how nightmares could mess up one's psyche, especially if they were about something that was traumatising and determined an important part of ones life.

"Unfortunately." Dante confirmed, now putting his newspaper down while Zhalia took her cup and sat down opposite of Dante, her hazel eyes fixed on the cup in her hands.

The amber eyed seeker looked at the bluenette in front of him with a calculating gaze, taking in the dark circles under her eyes.

He knew that she didn't sleep well either and whatever it was that kept her awake and caused her to worry seemed to be important.

He respected her privacy and thus didn't ask or try to find out what it was, but he hoped that she would trust him with her worries and troubles and tell him by her own will.

"I was making my way upstairs when I saw Den standing in front of his door who told me that Lok went in to calm her." Dante informed her, earning a nod from Zhalia in return.

"Seems like everything goes wrong lately." She commented, taking a sup from her cup before she looked up just in time to see Dante sigh.

"It's only a matter of time until it gets better." He assured her, but they both knew that it was only half the truth.

Zhalia bit the inside of her cheek and exhaled through her nose.

"It's been almost three years Dante." She spoke, voice barely above a whisper and as soon as their eyes met, Dante felt his heart clench lightly.

Zhalia looked exhausted, both physically and mentally. She was right, the past three years have been hard and they all had to make huge sacrifices in order for the world to remain safe and in peace.

She was the strongest woman he had ever encountered and for her to say this must have taken a lot.

"I know." He whispered back and just then did the sound of soft footsteps fill their ears.

Dante and Zhalia both looked up and much to their surprise, it was Sara who entered the kitchen.

Her long brown hair was lightly messed up while the black shirt she was wearing was oversized and almost reached her knees, covering the knee-length gray shorts she was wearing.

She was rubbing her eyes and even though she still seemed lightly pale, most of her bruises seemed to have disappeared except for the one on her lip.

"Mornin'." She mumbled, sitting down on the free seat next to Zhalia. The brunette laid her face into her palms and leaned her elbows onto the table, a sigh escaping her lips.

"Morning Sara." Dante greeted her with a soft smile, inwardly surprised that she seemed to have recovered rather quickly.

"Coffee?" Zhalia inquired just for Sara to shake her head in return. Sara then lifted her head and put her arms down onto the table, the dark circles under her eyes being even more prominent than Zhalia's.

"How come that you are able to walk already or well, move in the first place?" Zhalia inquired, taking a sip from her coffee as she questioned Sara.

She actually wanted to check on her protégé after breakfast since she figured that she would most likely sleep in but strangely, she seemed to be in perfect health.

"Used everfight on myself until I passed out." Sara mumbled as she nibbled onto a slice of toast that Dante had passed her.

Zhalia smirked out of amusement whereas Dante shook his head with a small chuckle, seemingly entertained by their newest member of the team.

Another couple of minutes and the trio chatted about everything and nothing. It was nice to just sit there and talk without having to worry about getting attacked any second now and it was like balm to the soul.

Den was the next one to enter the kitchen, his brown hair a mess while he seemingly was still half asleep.

"Morning." He yawned as he plopped down next to Dante, rubbing his eyes to get rid of the sleep.

As soon as he opened his eyes however and bright blue ones met his, he blinked out of confusion.

His eyes filled with surprise and he did nothing to hide his confusion as he saw Sara sit in front of him, wide awake and in pretty good shape.

"What the-" Den started, frowning at her. "What are you doing out of bed already?"

Sara lifted a brow at him while Zhalia shook her head at Den's bluntness, already predicting the upcoming argument.

"She used everfight." Dante informed Den as he once more picked up his newspaper and read the article from before.

"Until she passed out." Zhalia added, and Sara shot her a nasty glance out of the corner of her eyes.

Did she have to include that part of the story?

Den snorted at Sara and grabbed an apple, a smirk playing on his lips.

"Idiot." He muttered, shaking his head in mock irritation what earned him a kick from Sara.

"Glad to see that you are back to your normal annoying self." Sara returned with a roll of her blue eyes, sarcasm dripping from her every word.

Den frowned and was ready to shoot back at her but was cut off by Lok and Sophie entering the kitchen, both of them looking half asleep.

"Good Morning guys." Lok greeted them with a yawn, sitting down next to Sara while Sophie sat down at the head of the table, offering the team a small smile.

"Morning." Came a chorus of greetings in return as the entire team was now present at the kitchen table.

"Wow," Den started as he looked at Lok and then at Sophie. "First Sara and now you two. What's today, international zombie day?" He inquired, feigning innocence as he referred to their pale faces and eye bags.

Sophie slapped the back of his head while Sara merely scowled, Lok pointedly ignoring Dens teasing.

"Well, what's today's plan?" Lok asked while he was munching on his toast, first looking at Zhalia and then Dante.

Zhalia also turned to look at Dante and whereas she inwardly hoped that they would do something that would distract her from Klaus death, she didn't have high hopes.

Dante put down his newspaper and looked at his team, taking in each one of their hopeful faces.

They all wanted to rest and yet wouldn't turn down a mission if there was one. They were seekers, they loved the thrill.

"I decided that it would be best for us to take a few days off. You all need your rest, and I don't want to hear any objections." He told them sternly, earning a disappointed sigh from Lok.

"Oh man, and here I was hoping that maybe we could beat some stupid Spirals as payback for yesterday!" He grumbled, a thick silence following his words.

Yesterday had been a quite nerve wrecking day for each one of them, and Lok bringing it up caused them all to remember yesterday's events once more.

"Way to kill the mood Lok." Den dryly commented as he noticed the sudden silence that fell over them, he himself not wanting to remember yesterday's events.

He lifted his gaze and instantly met her blue eyes that were filled with a sparkle of emotion that caused him to freeze.

A sudden knock on the door prevented him from picking it up though, for she swiftly averted her now emotionless eyes from his in order to look at Dante, who frowned.

"Are you expecting any visitors?" Zhalia inquired, just as suspicious as he was. When Dante shook his head in return, Zhalia mentally readied herself and stood up just when Dante did, both of them not wanting to let the others go alone.

"Think it's a trap?" Lok whispered to Sara who in return shrugged, her blank face not giving away her thoughts.

Dante walked over to the entrance door with Zhalia following him like a shadow, ready to back him up in case of an attack.

Then again, who was dumb enough to knock before they would attack?

Dante stopped in front of the door and looked at Zhalia who in return gave him a curt nod, signalising that she was ready.

Dante also nodded before he turned his head back towards the entrance door and slowly reached out to hold onto the doorknob.

With a strong pull, he opened it and as soon as he did, felt surprise overcome him.

Zhalia, equally as surprised at the sight relaxed and threw the trio a blank look, professionally concealing her surprise and wonder.

Standing at the door was Lucas Casterwill together with his two teammates, and they looked anything but delighted.

"Dante Vale." Lucas curtly greeted, giving him a curt nod before he turned to look at Zhalia. "Miss Moon, we came here regarding a matter that I am sure you have already been informed about." He spoke, gaze never wavering and Zhalia inwardly froze, cursing the Casterwills and their bloodline for their timing.

"May we come in?" Lane hopefully added, lightly elbowing Lucas in the ribs.

Dante, who glanced at Zhalia out of the corner of his eyes, gave the trio a mute nod before he stepped aside to let the three of them in.

Without needing to be told twice, the three of them made their way past Dante and straight towards the kitchen, Dante and Zhalia following them without saying a word.

Zhalia could already feel Dantes gaze burn through the back of her head but she pontedly ignored it and follow the newcomers.

As soon as they entered the kitchen, silence filled the room.

The moment Lok's eyes fell on their guests, he dropped his toast onto the plate with wide eyes, obviously not having expected them to be the ones at the door.

Den merely frowned whereas Sophie's eyes widened as she looked at her brother in surprise, Sara being the only one that looked lost.

"Lucas." Sophie breathed out of disbelief, her brothers name causing her heart to ache.

They still weren't on the best of terms but he was her brother and in the end, only wanted to protect her. Even though he had strange ways of showing, he only wanted the best for her.

"Sophie." He acknowledged his sister with a nod, the ghost of a smile on his lips for the split of a second before it disappeared within a heartbeat as if it had never existed.

"What are you doing here?" She instantly asked, voicing everyone's unspoken question as her brother leaned against the threshold, Zhalia mirroring his position as she leaned against the kitchen counter with her arms crossed above her chest as she watched him closely.

"I heard about yesterday's attack." He replied as if it was the answer to all her questions, what it obviously wasn't.

"And I have business with Miss Moon." He added, causing Dante to lift a brow.

"Oh." Sophie spoke, clearly surprised as she looked at Zhalia, whose eyes were fixed on Lucas with a stony gaze.

Lucas now turned to look at Zhalia as well while Lane gave her a small nod, expression lightly softening.

"First of all, you have our condolences." Lane spoke, bowing her head lightly at which Zhalia tensed, instantly growing aware of the confused pair of eyes of her team.

She forced herself to have Lane a curt nod in return. "Thank you." She spoke, voice barely above a whisper as she watched how Lane offered her a small, sad smile.

A moment of silence passed and all of sudden, Zhalia heard Sophie inhale sharply, realisation having seemingly overcome the young Casterwill heiress.

Zhalia shifted her eyes to Sophie who caught her hazel ones with her own wide green ones, surprise and pity filling them.

"Wait, don't tell me that it's what I think it is." Lok spoke, his voice grave as he looked at Zhalia in shock.

He as well was surprised and shocked by the news and whereas he was not too fond of Klaus either, he knew that he was like a father to Zhalia despite of what happened.

Den merely remained silent, too shocked to say anything while he looked at Zhalia with pity filled eyes.

Then there was Dante.

Amber orbs caught her hazel ones and much to her surprise, all she saw in them was concern and anger, not pity.

"They didn't know?" Lucas inquired with a frown, having obviously expected Zhalia to have already informed her team.

Zhalia's gaze snapped back to Lucas, her eyes narrowed as she tried her best to remain collected.

"No, they obviously didn't." She commented with a roll of her eyes, shifting lightly so that she was leaning against the counter in a more comfortable position. "Now, what do you need my help with?"

Lucas frowned at the kind of tone Zhalia was using with him but bit back the sarcastic retort that was dancing on the tip of his tongue.

He would not start another pointless argument with her especially since they would need to work together very soon.

"It was just confirmed that the Blood Spiral was the one that killed Klaus. We assume that they were after his notes regarding the titan of light and when he refused to cooperate, they decided to kill him." Lucas explained, expression as serious as ever.

Zhalia frowned. "The Titan of light you say?" She asked, a distant memory of Klaus once mentioning it when she was younger entering her mind.

"Indeed." Lucas confirmed with a nod. "We managed to get a hold of half of the reports of Klaus journal , but they are protected by a code that we have been unable to decode yet."

Zhalia sighed as she already felt the bittersweet anger bubble in her chest. "And you want me to decode it so that we all can go and find the titan." Zhalia concluded, expressionless.

Lucas gave her another brief nod while Lane grinned lightly, Dellix shaking his head lightly at Zhalia.

She would never change.

"I would also prefer to find the titan with my own team and rather not pull you all into this, but orders are orders and I can not disobey them." Lucas explained in a monotonous voice and Zhalia exhaled a deep breath, already predicting the headache that would very soon make an appreance.

All eyes were on Zhalia and that was when she realised that they were waiting for her to decide whether she would accept the mission or decided to leave it all as it was without digging further into the matter.

She looked at Dante who steadily held her gaze until he gave her the smallest of nods, telling her that it was okay for her to decide on her own.

Zhalia knew that she would regret it.

"We accept your offer. The Huntik team will officially work with you together in this case."


	28. Family Issues

Chapter 28: _Family issues_

Lucas and his two teammates left shortly after they discussed their mission. Zhalia would need some time decoding Klaus notes and reports regarding the titan of light, Tonatiuh, so that they figured that it would be best to leave for the mission the day after. They could not waste any time since apparently; the Blood Spiral was after the titan as well. Fortunately, the Blood Spiral took the book where the basic information about the titan was written in and left the book that contained the probable location of the amulet behind.

Of course, they didn't know that until they would decode it, what would also take them a couple of days without the knowledge that Zhalia held. Thus, their little advance in time was no use.

The team decided that they would split up for this mission. Whereas Zhalia, Lok, Lane and Lucas would travel to the Foundation prison in Vienna in order to look for any more clues regarding Klaus murder and his notebook, Sophie, Den, Dante, Sara and Dellix were going to Central America, Honduras, to look for the titan.

As soon as Lucas and the rest left, Sophie and Lok went to accompany them to the Foundation HQ while Zhalia decided to train Sara. Dante and Den were planning tomorrow's mission and much to the bluenettes surprise; none of them have actually mentioned or brought up Klaus murder.

She hated to get pitied and was glad that they were remaining silent, except for Sara, who was slightly confused.

"He was my father." Zhalia answered when Sara had asked just as they had entered the gym. Sara's eyes widened, the brunette having obviously been caught off guard, but Zhalia concluded that it was understandable since she didn't know much about Zhalia's time before the Foundation or her family in general.

"The one that took you into the organization?" Sara asked before she could stop herself and as soon as the words have left her lips, she realized her mistake.

Zhalia wasn't supposed to know that Sara knew about her time in the organization.

Sara bit the inside of her cheek and watched how Zhalia stopped in the middle of the hall, still facing her protégée with her back. Her shoulders were set in a straight line and her body seemed tense, much to Sara's concern.

She inwardly cursed herself and her curiosity as she watched her mentor with weary eyes. She should have respected her privacy, that she knew, but then again, she was bound to find out sooner or later anyways.

Latest now.

Zhalia sighed. "So they told you after all." She muttered under her breath, turning to look at Sara with a small shake of her head. She knew that the teens would tell Sara one way or another, but she didn't expect them to do so this early. She didn't mind as much as she thought she would since she trusted Sara not to run off and tell someone, but she would have rather told her own student herself when the timing would have been right.

Sara winced. "Sorry about that. I didn't want to invade your privacy, I just happened to be at the wrong place on the wrong time." She admitted, thinking back to the days they have spent at the Lamberts household.

Zhalia waved a dismissive hand. "Don't worry about that, you would have found out sooner or later anyways." She assured her protégée. " _That won't save their necks though_." She added in an inaudible mutter as she figured that she would need to have a serious talk with the teens regarding her privacy- and mission _Zhante_.

Yes, she was aware of their little mission as well, even though she found out by accident after they already completed their mission. She overheard Den and Lok talk about it a couple of days ago when they were training, and to say that she was both amused and lightly angry would be an understatement.

She knew that they only meant well after all, but that still didn't give them the right to put their nose into her private business.

Sara heaved a breath of relieve, glad that her mentor wasn't mad at her for finding out before she watched how Zhalia turned around to face her.

"This lesson we will try something different from what we usually do." Zhalia informed the brunette, and Sara felt her heart skipping a beat out of both excitement and curiosity.

They usually only practiced how to summon spells and Zhalia had Sara practice her aim and thus, she was curious as to what kind of different method they would try now.

"Today, I will teach you how to invoke your titan." The hazel eyed beauty replied seriously, expression blank and posture straight. Her eyes were steadily fixed on her protégée, who's pupils dilated lightly upon hearing her mentor.

The ring on her right ring finger was suddenly growing hot and upon following Zhalia's gaze that has now fallen onto said item, she grew aware of what the young woman was indicating.

Sara's gaze snapped back to Zhalia's and just then did she realize something that she must have previously missed. Zhalia, who noticed her slightly shocked expression, merely gave her a curt nod and Sara gulped down the lump that had suddenly formed itself in her throat.

How could she have carried a titan with her the entire time without knowing, and why didn't they tell her?

An unsettling feeling planted itself in the pit of Sara's stomach at the thought of being so close to a titan the entire time.

"Who gave you this ring?" Zhalia inquired, slowly beginning to circle her student.

Sara frowned lightly, trying to think back to her childhood days in order to answer Zhalia's question. She was wearing this ring ever since she could remember and never took it off, just like she was being told all this time ago.

"My uncle gave it to me when he visited us." Sara eventually told Zhalia, the face of the young male with lightly messy brown hair, vibrant blue eyes and a boyish grin entered her vision and Sara felt her stomach drop.

"He was gone most of the time doing god knows what and returned once every three weeks. When I turned six and he returned from one of his trips, he gave this to me saying that I should never take this off. It would serve me as a lucky charm and taking it off or losing it would cause chaos." Sara told Zhalia in a low voice, eyes lightly narrowed as she gazed down at the ring.

Zhalia hummed lightly and stopped in front of Sara, tilting her head lightly aside as she looked at Sara with curious eyes.

"Parents?"

"Died in a car-crash three years ago with my sister, I lived with my grandma in Poland ever since who then died last month. That's the reason why I moved to Venice three weeks ago, this is where my family originally came from and raised me." Sara monotonously explained, as if she had done it dozens of times before, what she probably had to.

Moving from one country to another, transferring schools a couple of times and being left alone at the age of seventeen was not easy and having to explain your situation to every school principal and other officers was not pleasant.

Zhalia mentally sighed. Why was it that every member of their team had a rather unpleasant past? As the saviors of the world didn't they at least deserve happiness in some part of their lives?

"Your uncle went on trips that sometimes took weeks, huh." Zhalia repeated a small frown etching on her expression as she tried to compare Sara's looks to any seeker she had ever encountered in the Foundation HQ.

He obviously was a seeker, from what Sara had told her and that would explain how she had received the titan. If he was Sara's only living relative that she knew of, Zhalia would make sure to look into it.

Sara shifted her weight onto her other feet, a reminiscing look entering her eyes as a small smile tugged at the corner of her lips.

"Yeah, but after my parents and sister died his visits became more and more rare. The last time I have seen him was around two years ago, maybe he finally found someone and settled down, I don't know." Sara shrugged, suddenly feeling how the pain that she had successfully managed to keep locked away start to resurface.

She missed her family, but there was very little that she could do about it. At least now she was getting distracted and made friends, what was something she would be eternally grateful for.

Zhalia nodded. "Could be possible." _But it's highly unlikely if he really was a seeker._ She mentally added, pitying the young girl in front of her.

"Yeah, with Uncle William everything could be possible."

Zhalia inwardly froze as she heard Sara mention her uncle's name, an alarm going off in her mind. She furrowed her brows and regarded Sara's face closely, the name William ringing a bell in her mind.

A lot of people were called William, seekers as well as ordinary people, but something in the back of her mind was nagging her to dig deeper.

"What did you say was your surname again, Sara?" Zhalia carefully inquired, trying to sound nonchalant as she watched how Sara looked up at her, a lightly confused expression on her face.

"Nero, why?"

Zhalia mentally slapped her forehead and made a mental note to have a nice little chat with Dante. He most likely knew about Sara's relation to Will and if this was the case, she would knock some sense into him for keeping this rather important information from her _again_.

Sara was genuinely confused and curios by now, her blue eyes narrowing lightly as she thought back to what she had told Zhalia.

Her parents died in a car crash together with her sister, her uncle went on trips and gave her the ring, and-

Sara froze, her eyes wide as realization hit her like a ton of bricks as her blue eyes found Zhalia's hazel ones. "Oh god," She breathed, feeling stupid for not realizing what was going on earlier. "Uncle William is a seeker."

Zhalia crossed her arms above her chest, eyes softening as she watched Sara trying to process her uncle's little identity slip. She pointedly decided against telling her that in fact, he was the one that Dante chose to infiltrate the Blood Spiral for the Foundation.

Poor girl already had too much on her plate.

"That would explain the trips and how you got the titan." Zhalia commented, straightening her posture again. "Now, why don't we take a look at what exactly he has left you, hm?" She suggested, extending her hand towards the brunette who in return hesitated.

She never took it off, not even _once_ , but she figured that she didn't have much of a choice and thus, moved to gently take the piece of jewelry off of her slender finger before she gently placed it onto her teachers palm.

Zhalia gave Sara a small smile, grateful for her willingness to cooperate and walked over to her Holotome, which was standing on the windowsill with Sara following closely behind.

"Holotome, analyze this titan." Zhalia ordered as she placed the ring onto the Holographic field, the green light engulfing the metallic object.

Sara silently stared at the Holotome in awe, clearly fascinated by the device. She had seen it before but to see it in action and how it was scanning her ring was somewhat cool, in her opinion.

"Aquarius. Attack: 4, Defense: 4, Type: Krono-Titan Warrior, Special ability: Water attacks." Came the mechanic voice of the Holotome, causing Zhalia to lift a brow.

She didn't expect Sara's titan to be this strong, especially since Sara apparently didn't even notice bonding with it when she was little.

"What?" Sara asked, noticing Zhalia's expression which then turned into a thoughtful one. She suspected that either something was off with her titan or it was different from the others and either way, both options were not good ones in her opinion.

"Quite a strong titan you've got there kid." Zhalia commented in a mumble, eyeing the Holographic picture that had now materialized itself in front of them. Sara turned her eyes back to the Holotome and was surprised to see the picture of a tall woman with dark long hair, dressed in a ripped dress that reached her knees and holding an Urn.

"That's Aquarius, the titan that your uncle has given you." Zhalia informed Sara, curtly pointing at the image of the titan before she took the ring again and handed it back to Sara, closing the Holotome.

The ring felt unusually heavy in Sara's palm and she slipped it back onto her finger with light hesitation, eyeing it cautiously.

"Well then Sara," Zhalia spoke, a small smirk playing on her lips as she took in Sara's now tense and slightly alarmed posture. "You know what's next, don't you."

Sara stiffened and shot Zhalia a weary glance, her blue orbs pleading Zhalia to show mercy on her. When Zhalia's smirk didn't fade, however, she gave up and slumped her shoulders in surrender.

"Alright, let's summon Aquarius."

-X-

He was laying on what he would call his temporary bed that was made out of stone, an already dirty blanket draped over it. A sigh passed his dry lips as he blankly stared at the ceiling, his stomach clenching out of hunger.

He has been travelling for two days straight without getting a wink of sleep nor a bit of food in hope of stumbling across the infamous Blood Spiral.

After two long days he finally managed to do so somewhere in the middle of Spain and even though it was lightly hard to convince them to let him join, he managed to do so.

How? Well that was a funny story actually.

He has managed to get hold of information that contained the location of one of their smaller hide-outs and upon 'stumbling' across it, he figured that naivety may do the trick, so upon recognizing them he challenged one of them for a battle.

If he were to win, he would get to join and if he would lose, he would allow them to erase his memories.

He of course won and thus, was allowed to enter. The brown haired male scoffed as he tossed a small stone towards the wall. They were even dumber than they looked. It would be fairly easy for someone to get in and spy on them if they were not what they would consider famous in the Foundation.

His plan had worked, even though it was a very poor one, but what mattered was the outcome. He owed Dante one for taking his niece under his wing when he couldn't and even though Dante told him that he would have done so even if he and Sara weren't related, which he knew Dante would have done, he was grateful.

After the death of his sister, her husband and their eldest daughter, William has sworn to protect Sara and keep her as far away from the Seeker world as possible and if that meant to visit her less and less in order to not give his enemies the knowledge that another person he loved dearly was still alive, he would have no choice but to do so.

He would lead his enemies right towards her and even though she was a Nero, she was inexperienced and held no knowledge about the powers a seeker possessed.

Now that she was with Dante and his team after getting attacked, however, he figured that maybe this way she would be even safer.

And now here he was, stuck in a Blood Spiral hideout in the middle of Central America, waiting to get an audience at the Spirals leader who would personally take a look at him and the other recruits that just recently joined as well.

Another sigh.

He missed the old days when everything seemed to be one big adventure but as for now, every seeker there was struggled to survive in its own way.

It was tiring, but a part of his life that he wouldn't and most importantly couldn't give up. There was no such thing as to quit being a seeker and go back to living an ordinary life; no.

Once you were a seeker, there was no turning back or stopping being one. Just because one would stop going on missions didn't mean that one could quit it altogether. It was an illusion that many liked to believe could be a reality in the future, but the higher your rank was and the more you knew, the more dangerous your life would be after you would stop going on missions.

And of course, when there would be war every seeker on the world retired or not would have to participate, one way or another. It was the price one had to pay for becoming a seeker in the first place. You were gifted with the abilities to wield these powers so you had to use them to protect the innocent with them as well and not lay back and do nothing while using them for your own selfish and foolish desires.

All of sudden, William was ripped out of his musings by the door being brutally kicked open, a loud bang echoing through the cavern that was his room but of course, he didn't move an inch.

He was an experienced and high ranked seeker; it took way more than this to startle him.

"You!" A rather petite male barked, his lips curled downwards as he took a look at Williams's relaxed body that was lying on the bed, seemingly unbothered.

"It seems like someone didn't get their beauty sleep." Will muttered under his breath before he lazily swung his legs over the bed and turned into a sitting position.

The Spiral that has been sent to recruit him seemingly didn't hear him and merely snarled at him. "Move, you wouldn't want to keep her highness waiting." He spoke, grabbing Will by his arm and hurling him up into a standing position.

Will was tempted to cut his hand off right there and then but refrained from doing so for the sake of the mission and instead, shot the Spiral a grin.

"I would never keep a Lady waiting." Will teasingly replied, swiftly slipping back into his act as he was being rather roughly led outside of the room and into the dark corridor.

The Spiral next to him scoffed, tightening his grip on Will's forearm. "You shouldn't underestimate her highness, blink without her allowance and you will find yourself blinded by her." He told Will but once again, he wasn't the least bit affected by his threat.

William merely shrugged as they turned the corner. "Pity, I am sure that looking at her would be a nice change from looking at all of you in your typical uniforms." He mused out aloud, earning a death glare from the male that was now leading him down the stairs and right into a huge hall.

It was like a huge cavern, the only thing off being the huge throne that was made of stone standing in the middle of it. Thousands of Spirals were gathered together, some of them looking ready to wet themselves while the others expressions were blank, as if they have been robbed their very emotions.

"Oh man, who died?" Will sarcastically inquired under his breath, his eyes taking in every person in the hall.

"No one." The Spiral that was still holding onto him commented, a wry grin on his lips. "Yet."

William rolled his eyes, feeling as if he was in a classical cliché movie where the hero was being held captive by his enemies.

Oh the joy of being a spy. As long as he would be a seeker, he would always be able to compare his missions to overrated movie scenes, wasn't that just peachy?

They stopped somewhere in the middle of the hall, stuck between other recruits that were being held on a leash by other spirals, metaphorically spoken of course.

A loud mumble filled the eerie silence of the cavern and after some minutes of nothing happening, the torches in the corners of the room suddenly held fire.

The mumble disappeared in an instant and almost a heartbeat later, everyone dropped onto their knees and bowed deeply for their Queen.

William was forced to follow their movements and did so in order to not gain too much attention. A heavy and thick silence fell over all of them before it was being broken by the sound of heels clacking on the cavern floor that cut through it like a knife.

Another moment of silence and by now, Will was starting to get curious. In only a few moments he would be greeted by the sight of the Blood Spirals new Queen and somehow, he had a bad feeling.

His gut feeling never failed him.

"Rise."

Everyone lifted their heads in an instant and stood up, the sharp order having caused all of them to scramble onto their feet as fast as possible.

William froze as he heard the soft, yet sharp order of the female voice and as soon as he was standing and gazed onto the stone throne in front of them, felt as if the ground has been pulled away from under his feet.

He was grateful for the Mask he was wearing because if one were to have noticed the way his eyes widened, his cover of being the nonchalant and careless newbie would have been blown.

Well then again, everyone would be beyond shocked to see that their very own niece that was supposed to be dead since three years was the new Queen of the Blood Spiral.

 _Victoria._ William mentally groaned, recognizing his once so sweet an innocent niece in an instant. _Oh you've got to be kidding me._

-X-

"Enough for today."

Sara gave Zhalia a grateful smile and tiredly slumped onto the ground, breathing heavily. They have been trying to summon her titan for the past three hours and it was harder than Sara expected it to be.

She has managed to almost summon it once but the powers were too strong and intense for her to hold and thus when her concentration has slipped, so did her hold on the titan.

"Hey guys!" Came Lok's cheery greeting as he entered the gym, followed by the rest of the team. "How's training going?"

Sara merely waved a hand and held her head, the headache that has now announced itself causing her to groan out of pain.

Zhalia gave them an innocent smile as Sophie walked over to Sara and helped the brunette up into a standing position.

"Oh man, you went pretty hard on her Zhaal didn't you?" Lok commented as he took in Sara's exhausted form, a small smile of pity on the blonde's lips.

Den snorted. "When did she go easy on any of us?" He teasingly spoke, earning a light grin from Zhalia. She didn't even bother to deny it because it was the truth. She didn't give them many breaks and even though she went easy on them plenty of times, she had a reputation to live up to.

"It's the result that counts." Dante commented as he as well entered the gym, a smile on his lips as he leaned against the door frame and watched his team.

"Well she's been doing pretty well for having only been introduced to spells and titans around a week ago." Zhalia spoke, her hazel eyes falling on Sara who was giving Zhalia a grateful smile.

She was training hard and hearing Zhalia's praise was definitely lightening her mood.

That was until Den had to open his mouth again and destroy it all.

"She's still pretty weak and useless in a battle though."

Sophie shot Den a glare and Lok merely sighed at his teammate, having somewhat expected his comment already.

Sara merely looked at Zhalia who in return smiled and gave her a curt nod, causing Sara to smile as well. The others, save for Dante, looked at the two in confusion. Zhalia walked past Sara and the rest, patting her student on the shoulder before she turned to look at Den.

"You should know that I don't teach my students how to be weak, Den." She commented lowly, walking out of the gym and before Den was able to process what Zhalia had meant, heard a familiar call to his left.

"Touchram!"

He was too slow. The spell hit him right in the stomach and caused him to fall straight onto his back, a sharp breath escaping his mouth.

He blinked once.

Twice.

Did she really just-

"Nimblefire!" Sara called, charging towards den with her fist already balled, glowing a dangerous dark purple hue. Den instantly recognized the spell and his eyes widened lightly out of wonder before he pushed his weight backwards and planted his palms against the cool floor of the gym, leaning his weight onto his hands before he made a swift back flip to avoid Sara's spell.

"Venomhand!" Sara called, her fist colliding to the spot where Den was a moment ago the split of a second later. The ground cracked under the force she was using and Den threw her a look that suggested that she was insane.

Her long brown hair was falling loosely around her shoulders, her black top and gray shorts a nice contrast to her lightly pale skin whereas her blue eyes were filled with a glint that he had only seen in Zhalia's eyes whenever she battled one of them.

In this moment, he wondered if Zhalia had turned innocent little Sara into a killing machine.

Sara thoroughly enjoyed the surprise and wonder that flashed across Den's expression and shot him a sharp grin, her breathing lightly heavy and fist tickling from the magic that was running through her veins.

Lok and Sophie who have been watching them, just as surprised and shocked as Den was, laughed at Den's dumfounded expression.

Den shot them a nasty glare before he straightened his position, his gaze turning to Sara. "Quite confident now, aren't we?" He mused out aloud, a challenging glint entering his eyes as he took in Sara's cool expression.

She didn't seem the least bit intimidated and instead, maintained her leisured grin on her lips as she shrugged. "Got no reason not to be." She merely returned, and Den lifted a brow at her.

"Oh is that so, klutz?" Den shot back, noticing how her expression dared to waver the lightest bit as she remembered the day at the museum. He then turned to look at Sophie and Lok who were watching their little interaction with interest.

"You two have received the honor of watching me beat our little princess over here, enjoy the show."

And with that, all hell broke loose.

Sara only barely managed to avoid the Boltflare that he had shot at her and used Hyperstride to jump a couple of meters aside, her grin sharpening.

"You don't know how long I have wanted to punch that stupid smirk of yours off of your face." Sara commented before she run towards Den, both of her fists glowing darkly.

"Likewise." Den called as he as well charged towards Sara, managing to get a hold of her upper arm. He was about to throw her over his shoulder, but he did not see her leg coming right for his ribs.

He winced lightly as he felt her knee dig deep into his stomach but only tightened his hold on her.

"Darksle-"

Before he was able to mutter the spell that would let him win, Sara had turned so that she was standing right in front of him, her fist flying straight towards his nose.

Den had no choice but to release her in order to not get his nose broken and let out a chuckle. "Almost got me there." He commented causing Sara to shoot him a smile in return. They both knew that it was meant as a compliment and would probably be the closest to praise what she would ever get from him, but she appreciated it nonetheless.

All the time Sophie and Lok were watching the two closely and Lok hummed lightly, turning to look at Sophie as his two teammates continued to battle one another.

"10 bucks that Den will let her win on purpose."

Sophie snorted, crossing her arms above her chest as she kept her eyes steadily fixed on the ongoing fight in front of them.

"20 that Sara will actually win without him letting her on purpose." She returned and Lok instantly took the risk.

"Deal."

-X-

While the teens were busy battling against each other, Zhalia has moved to stand on the balcony, knowing that Dante would follow her like a shadow. She didn't need to turn around in order to verify that it was him who was standing a step behind her and thus, instantly spoke.

"You didn't tell me about Sara." Zhalia spoke, her voice soft and yet steady. She would not beat around the bush and rather right out say what was bothering her.

"You didn't tell me about Klaus either."

Zhalia sighed, he had her there. "She is my protégée, I trusted you to tell me if there was something that was important for me to know about her." She calmly spoke, knowing that he was trying to push her off of her originally plan.

She felt two strong arms encircle themselves around her waist from behind and bit the inside of her cheeks.

"I just found out this morning when I was looking through the Foundation files. You know, paper work since she is the new member." He mumbled, kissing her shoulder softly. "I don't even know if Will knows that I know, but now that I think of it he did seem quite surprised when I told him when he saw the picture of her that she took with Sophie."

Zhalia hummed in return, not daring to doubt his words. He never lied to her and would never do so because of something like that either. She trusted him with her life, and that spoke for itself.

"We should tell her." Zhalia eventually returned, completely relaxing in his arms. She felt Dante's chest vibrate lightly against her back as he hummed in return, his grip on her tightening.

"We will." Dante confirmed, nodding curtly to himself. Sara had a right to know, but their first priority was to take care of the mission that Klaus has left them.

"I'm here for you Zhaal." Dante whispered, lightly leaning his cheek against her temple. Zhalia merely squeezed his hands in return and sighed as he interlaced their fingers.

"Thank you." She whispered back, closing her hazel eyes as she leaned into is touch. "For staying when no one else would."

* * *

 **A/N:** Sorry for the long wait but I am back for good! Oh man, a lot of stuff happened but I finally got my laptop back and plenty of time to update. The next chapter will be the mission and a lot of stuff is going to happen. The past two chapters have been kind of fillers but started from the next one, there will be a lot of action again! If you liked it, please **review**.

 _See ya soon!_


	29. Greetings from the past

**A/N:** You don't know how long I have been sitting on this chapter. My muse disappeared, I had to go to work/ school and a lot of things happened that left me unable to update, for which I apologize.

I appreciate your support and am truly grateful for all the love, support and reviews I get from you all and apologize if I forget to respond to some of your reviews, I will do my best to reply to each one, I promise!

Anyways, I hope that you'll like this chapter. Please leave a **review** and tell me if you did!

* * *

CHAPTER 29- Greetings from the past

Lok covered his mouth as he yawned, a shiver running down his spine as the cold morning air of Venice graced his skin.

He wasn't what you would call a morning person, but after all the missions and sleepless nights he eventually grew used to it.

The blonde then draped his arm around Sophie's shoulders, the rose-blonde haired girl that was sitting on the seat next to him reading another one of her books while he silently enjoyed the warmth that she was radiating off of her in waves.

Lok always was cold whereas Sophie carried warmth that he wished he would. It was strange, but another delighting aspect that balanced the two of them perfectly well.

The Huntik team was currently at the airport together with Lucas and his two teammates. It was six in the morning and they were waiting for their flights, which were bound to arrive any minute by now.

While Dante was getting their boarding tickets together with Lucas, the rest of the team was patiently waiting for the two of them to return.

Zhalia was talking to Den and Dellix while Lane and Sara were bonding over random things as well. Everyone seemed to get along perfectly well and while Sophie was still lightly tensed due to her brother's presence, Lok had noted that with each time the siblings were together, they started to grow more and more familiar with one another again.

The team would soon have to split again and thus, they used the chance to spend some time together until they would have to say their farewells.

It's been some time since the team has split up for a mission and to say that they were not what you would call delighted about it especially after recent happenings would be an understatement.

After some more moments Dante and Lucas eventually returned, both of them holding a stack of boarding tickets.

"Well team, it's time to split up." Dante spoke, giving each one of them a smile as he looked at their lightly saddened expressions. "The flight for Vienna will depart in twenty minutes, so you better hurry."

It was weird to be apart from each other again, but it was necessary. Else, they would never manage to find out what they needed to know in time.

Everyone seemed reluctant but in the end, Zhalia was the first one to stand up from where she was seated. She gave Dante a curt nod before she walked over to stand next to Lucas, who handed the tickets to her before she looked at the teens.

"Lok, Lane, let's go."

Lok heaved a sigh and with a heavy heart, removed his arm from Sophie. He instantly caught her saddened as well as concerned emerald gaze and gave her a bright smile before he leaned over to lovingly peck her cheek.

He whispered a silent _"Take care."_ Into her ear before he as well stood up and walked over to where Zhalia, Lucas and now Lane were waiting for him.

Lane was pouting as she tried to fix her hair, which Dellix had oh so caringly ruffled as a parting gesture while Zhalia shot Sophie a small yet assuring smile.

Her expression held clear concern, revealing that she as well was having her worries about them. Of course Zhalia's team only had to investigate, but they never knew what they find out that would would cause them both mental and maybe even physical pain.

"Be careful kids, and don't try to kill each other while I'm away." Zhalia spoke, her hazel eyes then falling to Den and Sara who both looked rather lost and tried to crack a smile at her mentors teasing.

She felt lightly uncomfortable to be away from her mentor, not because she didn't get along well with Dante and the rest, quite the opposite actually, but Zhalia was the one that broke her walls first and thus, they shared a strong bond.

Sara considered Zhalia her bigger sister, and she didn't want to lose another sister again.

"Don't worry Zhaal, I'll keep an eye on them."

Zhalia's hazel eyes instantly caught his warm amber ones and she found herself smiling at his words. She knew that he would, but that was not what worried her. What she was worried about was who would keep an eye on him while she was away.

"Alright then Vale. " Zhalia sighed, glancing at the team that would soon be flying to Honduras to look for the titan. "Take care and don't try to get yourself killed."

Sophie, Sara, Dellix, Den and Dante all nodded at her stern command and without another glance, Zhalia turned around and started to make her way towards the gates that would lead them to their flight, Lok, Lucas and Lane following her like silent shadows.  
Lok caught up to her, a distant look in his usually warm blue eyes that caused Zhalia's expression to fall lightly.

He was worried, as they all were.

"Don't worry, they'll manage." Zhalia caringly muttered under her breath, hoping that it would somewhat calm the blonde boy that she had grown fond of. He was the first one that was able to somewhat melt her icy heart and for that, she would be eternally grateful to him.

How could anyone hate such a pure and innocent boy like him?

Lok exhaled deeply and glanced at her from the corner of his eyes, a small smile on his lips.

"You're right, they'll be fine." He muttered, once more glancing at her before he whispered something under his breath that no one but he himself heard.

"But will you?"

-X-

The flight to Vienna was rather uneventful. Lok was talking to Lane about some fighting moves that they recently learned while Lucas was on his Holotome scanning some reports. Zhalia was staring out of the window the entire flight, immersed in her own thoughts.

After they have checked into the hotel and left their baggage there, a cab that the Foundation has sent to pick them up was already waiting for them and ever so reluctant, the four of them got in. Zhalia was sitting in the front while the other three were seated in the back.

The ride itself was short and silent and Zhalia couldn't help but feel lightly saddened as she looked out of the window. She missed her home country, this is where she grew up and now, with Klaus being gone, she had no reason to visit it anymore. All it would cause her would be the pain of remembrance and that was something she didn't need.

"Zhaal, do you think that we could grab something to eat before we'll reach the, uh, location?" Came Lok's innocent question and Zhalia cracked a small smile, her hazel eyes twinkling as she looked at the blonde from the rear view mirror.

"I think we should do that after we've visited Klaus cell. I don't think that it'll be a good idea to enter a bloody cell after you've eaten something." Zhalia advised, causing Lok to tense. His face was scrunched up in a grimace as he leaned back in his seat, his blue eyes shining with distaste.

"Guess food can wait." Lok muttered under his breath as he patted his stomach with sad eyes. "Sorry buddy."

Zhalia rolled her eyes while Lane chuckled at Lok, clearly amused at the blonde's innocence. Lucas merely shook his head and even though he didn't show it, Zhalia knew that he as well was fond of the blonde who may as well turn out to be his brother in law someday.

"How long are we going to stay in Vienna?" Lane inquired, turning to look at Lucas who was sitting to her left.

The green eyed male closed his Holotome and looked at both Lane and Lok who were patiently waiting for his reply. On this mission, Zhalia was the leader of their small team but Lucas was helping her plan the mission and providing her the information that they have received this far.

"It depends on Vale's team. If everything goes as planned, they should have found the titan by today evening and will join us to attend the funeral, which will be held tomorrow morning." Lucas explained.

Lane and Lok both gave him a curt nod before they all fell into a comfortable silence again. After another five minutes of driving, the huge building that was lightly desolated from the city was entering their sight, causing Zhalia's chest to clench lightly.

As the building grew closer and closer, she felt more and more pressured due to the circumstances that she had to visit Vienna under. Was she ready for any of this?

No.

Did she have a choice regarding this matter?

Nope, not at all.

"Well, here we are." The driver of the cab spoke, coming to a halt right in front of the building.

It was nothing special, made out of gray concrete walls, and even though it didn't seem inviting at all, one wouldn't instantly think that this was one of the Foundations so called prisons.

One by one, the team made their way out of the vehicle and after paying the driver, Zhalia and the others watched the cab drive off.

"Won't the driver grow suspicious after he got wind of our little conversation about the bloody cell?" Lane inquired as they slowly headed towards the entrance, worry lacing her soft voice.

"He is a former Foundation seeker who retired and now makes money of driving a seeker filled cab so that ordinary cab drivers don't get wind of something they shouldn't, like this." Lucas calmly explained, taking a glance at Lane out of the corner of his emerald eyes.

The female in return gave him a small nod, indicating that she understood whereas Lok openly shared his surprise by emitting a sound of realization.

"Oh, that makes sense." The blonde spoke, his blue eyes shining as if he had just realized the secret of the Bermuda Triangle and its disappearances.

The four of them then finally reached the building's entrance and entered it with a heavy heart. The chance of them encountering some familiar faces was high, for the Prison in Vienna was the most secured one that the Foundation possessed.

Zhalia was the first one to enter, followed by Lucas, Lane and Lok. The moment they entered the entrance hall, a chill run down each one of their spines. They could already feel the enormous amount of magic that the prison emitted and yet, it was anything but a pleasant kind of feeling. It was somehow cold and felt like someone put sticky and freezing glue all over their bodies.

"I already don't like it here Zhaal." Lok mumbled as he moved to walk next to her, his blue eyes now cold as he took in the hall that they were in.

It was spacious and wide, almost the size of Dante's gym. In the middle of the hall was a desk where an elderly man was sitting at, reading through what seemed to be reports. Two dark corridors were right behind the desk, probably leading into the depths of the prison and the place where the cells were located at.

Together, they walked straight towards the desk until they stopped right in front of it. One would think that the old man behind the desk would have noticed them by now, but it seemingly wasn't the case for he didn't even bother to acknowledge them.

His eyes were formally glued onto the papers in front of him and now upon looking closely, one could see that he looked lightly younger than expected.

His jet black hair was holding a couple of gray strands and his face was free of wrinkles and yet, Zhalia was the first one to notice the way that his hands were shaking lightly.

She narrowed her eyes lightly and eventually, glanced at Lucas who caught her gaze in an instant, having seemingly noticed the same thing.

"So you've finally arrived soldier, I feared that you may not come in the very first place." The man who seemed to be in his early fifties spoke, his voice dark and lightly rough as if he hadn't used it in a while.

Zhalia tensed and felt her heart clench painfully as the familiar voice reached her ears, causing a nauseous feeling to overcome her. She narrowed her eyes in order to take a closer look at the man's face to ensure that it was really him but then again, he was the only one who ever called her that.

The mysterious man then finally lifted his head and as soon as his vibrant yellow eyes met her hazel ones, she knew that it was him.

He smiled upon seeing her expression and chuckled lightly as he watched how she tried to hide her surprise by putting on her usual emotionless mask.

"So you do recognize me after all, little one." He spoke, the relief that his eyes displayed being accompanied by light pity, much to the confusion of the others who were now looking at Zhalia in question.

Zhalia, however, didn't break eye contact and instead, made sure to properly glare at the male in front of her, hurt and anger burning in her hazel eyes

"You survived." She spoke, her voice low and sharp. Her hazel eyes instantly noted the way his yellow eyes softened the lightest bit and how the corner of his lips turned lightly downwards, his joy fading into what seemed to be sadness.

"I did, Soldier. Barely, but I did." He replied, his lips curving into a sad smile as he held up his right arm to show them his bare forearm, which was grazed by a scar that started at his thumb and ended at his elbow. It seemed like a cut that already healed, but Zhalia knew better.

She was the reason that he carried this scar with him.

"Oh man, that's a nasty scar." Came Lok's wince from behind Zhalia, causing Zhalia to snap back into reality. Once again she mentally thanked her blonde teammate for his obliviousness and lightly shook her head at him.

The man chuckled lightly, his eyes shining as he averted his eyes from Zhalia in order to look at Lok. "Aye, it definitely is but it is a scar that I personally am proud of." He returned as he stood up from his seat and looked at the team in front of him with a smile.

"Well then, follow me. I will lead you to the cell you are looking for." The man told them as he started to walk towards the right corridor without looking back.

Lucas, Lok and Lane all looked at Zhalia, silently asking if he were to be trusted but she merely gave them a curt nod before she followed him.

"Thanks, uh-" Lok started as he and the other started to follow him as well, scratching his neck as he tried to remember if he had already introduced himself to them.

"Erik."

"Right. Thanks Erik." Lok called with a smile as he fastened his pace in order to catch up with Zhalia who seemed to be deep in thought.

The bluenettes gaze was fixed onto the white marble floor and her face was giving none of her thoughts or emotions away.

Lok knew her well enough to know that something was bothering her and was more than certain that it had something to do with this Erik they have just met.

Since Dante wasn't here with them, he has made it his duty to make sure that Zhalia would be alright and would always have someone to talk to in case something was the matter. He of course knew that she would never talk as freely to him as she did to Dante but he considered her a bigger sister and wanted her to know that he would be there if she wanted to talk.

She didn't need to carry the entire burden herself; she had the team after all.

"Is this Erik to be trusted?" Came Lucas inquiry from Zhalia's left, his emerald eyes fixed on the back of said male.

He didn't bother to whisper so Zhalia was fairly sure that Erik has heard, for she also knew that he would pick up even the most silent whisper, as he always did.

Zhalia remained silent for a moment as they continued to walk through the plain-white corridor, her hazel eyes now as well fixed on the back of his head.

It was a question that she already knew the answer to, but the rational part of her mind told her not to make the same mistake twice.

"Yes." She eventually replied, deciding to trust her gut feeling for now. "He is to be trusted."

Lucas huffed lightly but decided not to question Zhalia's decision and gave her a brief nod before he lightly sped up in order to walk next to Lane.

What they didn't see, however, was the relieved smile on the lips of the black-haired male in front of him.

"Well kids, I've heard a lot of you actually." Erik started, rounding a corner before they entered another hallway, this one lightly smaller than the former broad one. "How's Dante by the way? It's been ages since I've last seen this runt."

Zhalia instantly tensed because of two reasons. The first one was because he knew Dante and the second one was because he spoke as if they were close and know each other for some time now.

"He's fine." She spoke, her voice holding nothing but curtness. She wasn't about to chit-chatter with Erik about how her teammates were doing since as far as she knew him, he already knew himself.

Erik merely hummed in return, seemingly unbothered by Zhalia's obvious displeasure regarding his choice of topic. The small group them reached the end of the corridor and were then standing in front of a metallic door that was covered in white paint.

The huge amount of magic that the door emitted caused Zhalia to wonder just what kind of people they were keeping here that afforded this kind of high security measures in order for them to not break out.

"Well guys, listen carefully now." Erik told them, his voice turning serious as he entered a Pin Code into the electronic device next to the door. A spell concealed the number pad and Zhalia knew that the numbers were probably mixed up so that no one could guess the code either.

"Rule Number one. It's highly possible that you'll encounter someone you have once fought or at least have heard of, so I don't want you to shoot spells at the cell that god knows who is in because it would only backfire, literally, got it?"

Zhalia merely rolled her eyes whereas Lucas seemed lightly offended that Erik would think that they were as immature as doing something like this. Lok and Lane merely nodded as Erik turned around to face them like a mother that was about to scold her children would.

"Good." Erik nodded to himself as he held up two fingers. "Rule Number two. Each cell is protected by a barrier that absorbs any kind of magic so I wouldn't get to close to the cells either because they may drain your energy, so don't be surprised if you either feel nauseous, dizzy, or weakened upon entering the hall with the cells." He explained, and Lucas frowned.

"If the security measures are as high as this and there are barriers that prevent people from getting too close to the cells, how did they manage to get close, not to mention even break through Klaus cell?" Lucas inquired, suspicion edging onto his expression.

It was a good question and there always is the possibility that someone that works at the prison could have somehow weakened the barrier, but it was rather unlikely.

Erik shook his head in return, his yellow eyes showing nothing but understanding. He as well knew what the Casterwill boy was getting at but as far as he knew, not even security guards were able to even weaken the barriers without the keys that the jailer held.

"I don't know, and that's why we called you guys. We hope that you'll be able to help us solve this mystery regarding Klaus death and how it was able to happen in the first place." Erik confessed, his voice unusually serious as he spoke Klaus name.

Zhalia merely looked away, her gaze focused onto the right, plain white colored wall next to her while Lane, who was the only one who noticed, gave her a small look of pity.

"Very well then." Lucas spoke, his voice hard and holding authority that not many of his age possessed. "Open the door please."

Erik eyed the Casterwill boy in caution, not entirely sure if he was in a position to command something like this but upon seeing Zhalia nod behind him, he didn't hesitate to do as told.

With one pull, the heavy door opened with a screech that caused their ears to hurt for the split of a moment before a heavy silence filled the air.

Erik glanced at the team from over his shoulder before he started to walk inside, the others following behind. As soon as the team entered the hall, the door behind them automatically closed with a loud bang, causing Lok to jump in place.

"Oh man." He panted, holding his chest to cover his pounding heart. "Did I already tell you how much I hate this place?"

Zhalia gave him a pity-filled glance before the four of them finally turned to look at what laid before them.

It was a huge white-colored hall, the bright looking white metal doors gracing the cold walls. It eerily looked like the hallway of a psychiatric clinic that you see in movies.

It didn't smell like sanitizer and instead, like nothing at all. It smelled like nothing, and that was what worried her.

The only thing that she felt was a small tug at her heart; it was small but there nonetheless. She glanced to her and as soon as her gaze fell onto Lane, Lucas and Lok did she notice the way they seemed rather uncomfortable and bothered by something.

It was to be expected. Whereas she was used to such a huge amount of dark aura and magic, the others weren't. Zhalia was used to it and learned how to cope with it and even though the others have been confronted with dark magic quite a lot during their time as seekers, it wasn't long-term and this much at once.

"You alright kids?" Erik asked, concern displayed in his eyes. They all gave him a curt nod in return, Lucas instantly eyeing the doors where the huge amount of magic was coming from with a frown.

He seemingly didn't expect it to be this strong, but neither did the rest of them. It was a surprise but then again, what did they expect of a prison full of former users of dark magic whose souls were tainted with darkness?

"So, which one is Klaus's cell?" Lucas inquired, returning his gaze to Erik whose expression in return turned serious.

Zhalia tried to fight the way her heartbeat suddenly sped up and instead, forced herself to remain as collected as possible.  
"It's a couple of doors down the hallway." Erik revealed as he turned around and started to walk down the hallway, the others following close behind. "The further you go down the hallway, the more dangerous the prisoners are. Klaus may have been part of the organizations most important and dangerous members but in the end, he cooperated with members of the Foundation in order to help them defeat the Blood Spiral thanks to his mastermind. He wasn't what you would consider a good guy, far from it actually, but he wasn't even close to dangerous in here."

Zhalia's chest started to hurt, her eyes fixed on the floor.

"I heard that he also assisted the Foundation in inventing some kind of device that would allow others to get some kind of adrenaline push, which would result that seekers would last longer in a fight." The emerald eyed male spoke up and Erik nodded in return, a faint smile on his lips.

"This was one of his many inventions. You know, inventing magical devices was his passion and when the Foundation offered him to continue with his work but for them instead of the organization, he eventually agreed after a long year of persuasion." Erik confirmed.

Zhalia frowned. "Why was I never informed about any of that?" She inquired, voice hard. She had no idea that Klaus has started to help the Foundation, even if he only did it to do what he loved, which was to do weird experiments.

Lane laid a hand on Zhalia's shoulder as a sign of silent comfort but Zhalia's eyes were fixed on Erik, who slumped his shoulders lightly.

"They didn't consider it necessary. He asked how you were doing a couple of times and even I tried to convince them to allow you to visit him but they were afraid that you may let Klaus convince you to get him out of here." Erik's voice was bitter and Zhalia clenched her fists in return, disgust filling her eyes.

Klaus has been asking for her and the Foundation refused to allow her to even know how he was doing just because they feared that she may aid him in finding a way out of here.

She mentally snorted. That obviously showed how very little trust they had in her even after all she had done for the Foundation during the past three years.

Zhalia was somewhat hurt, disappointed and most of all, _angry_. It was because of them that she was unable to visit him, to at least see him before the incident. Of course it was unpredictable and yet, maybe the news of his death wouldn't have affected her this much if she would have seen him at least one time before he died.

"What? That's the most idiotic thing I have ever heard. Zhalia would never do something like that!" Lok protested, anger flaring in his blue orbs. The blonde was seemingly just as mad about the news as Zhalia was which was more than understandable.

Lane frowned. "Lok is right, Zhalia proved her loyalty more than once and it's ridiculous that they still dare to do something like that after all that happened."

Erik merely sighed in return before he came to a halt in front of a door that looked lightly different than the others. This one was blue and didn't give off any kind of energy, much to their surprise.

"That's it." Erik revealed. "That's Klaus cell."

A silence fell over the team and Lok shifted his weight from his left to right foot, peeking at Zhalia out of the corner of his eye.

They all expected her to do something, and Zhalia was very well aware of that. He was her adoptive father after all and they didn't know what would expect them either.

"Has anyone been in there yet?" Lucas inquired, looking to his right to see Erik shake his head no.

"No one expect for the guards that found him and retrieved the body for the autopsy."

Zhalia gave him a curt nod in return, analyzing his words as she tilted her head lightly upon looking at the door. Klaus was famous for hiding his creations at the oddest of places and it wouldn't surprise her if she were to find anything in there or at the door itself which would be concealed by a spell or something.

Klaus was not stupid and must have realized that someone wanted him dead, so he most likely hid something, knowing that she would come and find it.

"Alright, open the door." Zhalia commanded, her voice soft. She knew that she would have to do it sooner or later and the sooner she would be over this, the faster she could go to the hotel and analyze his notes if they were to find them.

Erik gave her a curt nod in return and moved to enter the pass code but just then did a voice stop him.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Came a muffled voice from the room next to Klaus one and Lucas instantly narrowed his eyes.

Erik stopped what he was doing to look at Zhalia, whose hazel orbs were now fixed on the door. She was frowning and tried to remember where she had heard this voice before. It seemed familiar and judging by the way Lok suddenly tensed, he seemed to know the owner of the voice as well.

"Ignore him; he's one of the nosy ones who don't know when to shut up." Erik waved a hand as a matter to shrug it off, but Zhalia held up a slender hand.

Her eyes narrowed into dangerous slits as she walked closer to the door, feeling how the cold aura was trying to creep under her skin, in vain.

"Care to share why we shouldn't?" She inquired, her voice dropping an octave lower as she faced the door. There was silence for some moments until she heard some shifting noises and eventually the soft sound of footsteps.

Whoever the prisoner was seemingly moved to stand close to the door as well, but Zhalia didn't let that bother her one bit.

"Because it's a trap. I heard enough to know what exactly happened on the night of Klaus's death, Miss Moon." Came his lightly rough voice, the grin clearly audible to Zhalia and that's when she recognized him.

She stiffened for a moment before she growled lowly, the realization causing her to lightly lose her temper. If it was true and he out of everyone was the one who heard what exactly happened that night, he would not cooperate easily.

Either he just wanted to get out of his cell and plan some way to escape, or he really knew what happened on this very night.

Either way, he was a rat that couldn't be trusted, that much the Huntik team knew after all the annoying trouble they went through with him.

"Well then, I hope that you are ready to sing because if this is one of your jokes, I won't hesitate to personally kill you the very instant that you even think of trying to do something stupid, _DeFoe_." Zhalia threatened, her voice not wavering and upon hearing Lok's sharp inhale of air she knew that he surely remembered their old friend.

A groan then followed from the blonde as Zhalia turned around to face Erik, who seemed lightly lost by now. Lok obviously didn't like the turn of events that much was sure, and knew that cooperating with DeFoe would certainly backfire either way.

Still, it was better than to walk head straight into a trap.

"Out of everyone, why does it have to be him?" Lok muttered with a sigh, shaking his head as he moved to stand next to Zhalia.

"Erik, please open to the door and bring him to the interrogation room." Zhalia spoke, her hazel eyes hard and filled with determination. "Me and my old friend are going to have a little chat."


	30. The Mummy

**A/N:** As always, I apologize for the long wait. Work is killing me and let me tell you, being a medic is way harder than one may think.

This chapter is definitely longer than the others so I hope that you'll enjoy it! I'll try my best to update faster so as always, enjoy and please tell me if you liked it by leaving a **review**!

Love ya'll!

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Chapter 30: The Mummy

Dante and his current team has just arrived in Honduras and after they have checked into the Hotel, decided to eat breakfast together. This way, they would attend the mission with a filled stomach and Dante would be able to tell them what exactly they would have to do in order to retrieve the Amulet.

"How about the one that's right across the street?" Sophie suggested, causing the others to look at the small bistro that was located right across the street, just as Sophie has said.

Dante smiled, obviously content with Sophie's decision as the small team made their way to the bistro. It was small yet cozy and the moment they have entered it, the sound of a bell ringing greeted them, together with the cozy warmth that the bistro emitted.

The fresh scent of coffee and freshly baked croissants was hanging thick in the air and Den's stomach instantly grumbled, itching to be filled with this tasty food.

The team made their way to a free table that was able to accommodate the five of them and took a seat on the wooden chairs, smiles on their faces as they noticed that it was placed right in front of the large window that allowed them to have a nice view of the busy streets of Honduras.

Sophie was sitting at the head of the table, Sara to her left next to Dante while Den and Dellix were seated opposite of the two. A total of three menus were placed on the table and with that, the fight begun.

Dante snatched the first one, a smirk on his face as he noticed the surprised pairs of eyes on him as they processed what had just happened.

The rest of them exchanged cautious gazes and within the blink of an eye, all with the exception of Dante and Dellix made a mad jump for the remaining two menus in a rather indecent manner.

In the end Sara managed to get one, a proud smile on her face whereas Sophie and Den weren't as lucky.

They both caught a part of the menu and as soon as their eyes met, they both realized one thing.

Neither one of them would give it up without a fight.

Dante's amber orbs were fixed on the different kind of food that they offered and while they thought he wasn't looking, he had spared them a swift, albeit amused glance as he too realized that this was going to be rather interesting.

Sophie and Den both were known to be stubborn and wouldn't back out without a fight.

"Den, let go of the menu." Sophie spoke, a small smile on her lips as she tugged on it, but Den was having none of it.

He merely snorted and pulled on the menu as well, causing a frown to grace Sophie's face. "Dream on Soph, I got it first so don't even think about taking it." He spoke, a daring glint in his eyes as he noted that Sophie was starting to grow annoyed as well as lightly mad.

"Den, just let me choose something and you'll get it." The young Casterwill heiress replied, clearly disliking Den's stubbornness. "Why won't you be a gentleman for once and stop your childish behavior?"

Sara peeked up from her menu, inwardly wincing as she had heard Sophie's words. She knew Den well enough to know that calling him a child would definitely tick him off and this way, they would never get to order some food.

Her blue eyes fell onto Sophie, whose frown has only intensified before she glanced at Den, who looked clearly pissed by now.

His jaw was clenched and his brows were furrowed, indicating that he was clearly offended by Sophie's comment and Sara couldn't help but fight the urge to roll her eyes at the current situation.

As soon as Sara decided what she would get, she then handed Dellix, who was watching the two with a small smirk and was leaning back in this chair, the menu who gladly took it without uttering a word.

Den, who had noted the silent exchange, turned to openly glare at Sara much to the confusions of the others. Sara frowned out of confusion, noting how his brown eyes were burning with something she couldn't identify.

She shifted under his gaze, turning to look at Sophie who was looking at Dante with a small smile, much to her confusion.

The brunette female then turned to look at Dante but much to her dismay, found him staring at the menu with his usual pokerfaced placed on his face.

"What?" Sara finally snapped after what felt like hours of Den staring, her patience having run thin as she felt herself grow uncomfortable under his stare. Her blue eyes noticed how his eyes widened for the smallest of moments before his eyes narrowed and he let go of the menu that he and Sophie fought for.

Den then leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms above his chest, a small huff passing his lips as he turned his head to look out of the window, leaving her to stare at him in utter confusion and frustration.

What was up with him?

"Nothing." His mutter reached her ears, leaving a sinking feeling in her gut. What had she done wrong this time?

Sara merely shook her head at his behavior and sighed, looking around the table and right at the faces of her current team. "Does everyone know what they're getting?" She spoke, her voice high and a cheery smile on her face that didn't quite cover up the annoyance in her blue orbs.

The others nodded in return, well, all except for Den who continued to stay silent. Deciding that he seemingly won't order anyways, Sara lifted her arm to signalize a waiter or waitress that they wanted to order.

Not even two minutes later, a friendly looking waitress that seemed to be in her early thirties appeared at their table, dressed in a white blouse and a pair of cashmere trousers.

"Good morning." She greeted them, an affable smile on her lips as she looked at them with her surprisingly rather dull green eyes. "What would you like to order?"

The team quickly told the waitress their orders before the blonde woman disappeared, leaving the team on their own once more.

"I'm sure that Lok would have loved the food here." Sophie mumbled, her chin resting on her palm as she looked at the busy little bistro. Families and couples were enjoying their time together and Sophie had to admit that she was somewhat jealous upon seeing the way a couple two tables to their left was holding hands, gazing lovingly at one another.

She missed Lok, even though it's been only a couple of hours since they have parted.

Dante and the others have heard Sophie's mutter and Den's eyes briefly flickered over to his teammate before he fixed his eyes onto the empty surface of the wooden table.

Dellix and Sara remained silent, sinking into their own thoughts as well whereas Dante let out a soft breath. He knew that Sophie missed Lok and the others, just as he did.

Recently, the team was facing many hardships and they were unable to have one day for themselves without having to worry about what would happen next, if someone would attack them or if they would get some bad news on top of what they were already dealing with.

He hated to split up, especially in times like these, but he knew that there was nothing that he could do against it. It was necessary and whereas he knew that Zhalia and the others would be fine, he couldn't help but worry still.

Dante knew that in case of an emergency, they would find a way to stay safe and yet, he feared that if something were to happen, it would add to the already heavy weight that they were carrying on their shoulder as well as to their physical and mental exhaustion.

"Here you go."

The voice of the approaching waitress was ripping the team out of their thoughts and not even a second later; their orders were placed in front of them.

Whereas the team instantly begun to dig into their food as soon as it was placed in front of them, Dante paid the waitress before he as well started to eat.

The only one without any food was Den, who had flatly refused to order anything due to his stubborn behavior.

"Den, why didn't you order anything?" Sophie inquired, a frown etched on her face as her emerald eyes took in the way he kept on looking out of the window.

She knew that Den was always hungry and would never refuse any food, especially not after an argument.

"Not hungry." He mumbled in return, not even bothering to look at Sophie who in return narrowed her eyes, but decided to let that comment pass.

"But you've got to eat something, Den." Sara softly spoke, concern evident in her voice as she as well looked at him with worried blue eyes.

As Den heard her mention his name, his eyes caught hers for the split of a second before he sighed and returned his orbs to the window.

"I'm not hungry." He repeated, his lips pursed into a tight line and with that, he ended the conversation.

Sara eyed him for one more second before she continued to eat her food, but not without sparing him a few glances every now and then.

Amber eyes, however, noticed something that seemingly no one else did and what they saw was more than alarming. Dante's eyes were fixed on Den's right forearm that was covered by his left hand. To the others, it seemed like a natural pose and yet, they didn't notice the way his skin was rather pale and his veins were more prominent than they usually were. He was holding his forearm tightly, right where the Spiral Mark was located at.

Dante felt how all his senses tingled and inwardly wondered how Sophie was unable to sense the seemingly activated Spiral Mark.

That meant no good.

If Den's Spiral Mark was activated, so would Zhalia's be. He felt his heart sink lightly as he remembered her pale and exhausted form and tightened his hold on his fork. They would have to hurry and find the titan as soon as possible so that they could reunite with the rest of their team.

As if Den has sensed that someone was staring at him, his brown orbs met Dante's concerned amber ones and for a moment, it seemed as if a silent message passed between these two.

Den knew that he would be unable to hide it from the others for long, but he decided not to tell any of them in order not to worry them.

It has started off with a small stinging sensation the moment Sara passed her menu to Dellix and with every minute that had passed, this stinging sensation was growing more intense until it turned into a small burning feeling.

What he didn't expect, however, was that Dante would notice this soon. He knew that Dante always managed to find out what was wrong in a matter of minutes but that was fast, even for Dante.

Den gave Dante a small nod in order to signalize him that he was alright but he somehow knew that Dante would most likely use Breakspell to numb the pain whenever the opportunity would arise.

After the little incident in the Bistro, the Huntik team made their way back to the Hotel in order to change into some more comfortable clothes and grab their things.

Everyone had their own room and thus, Dante used this opportunity to pay Den a little visit. The auburn haired male was dressed in his usual attire, save for his trademark yellow coat as he knocked on Den's door.

Not even a minute later, the door opened and standing there was Den, who looked terribly pale with dark circles under his eyes.

"Thank god it's only you." He breathed upon seeing Dante, relieved that it was only him and not one of the others. "I don't think that I would have the nerves to deal with the others." Den joked, wincing as he felt the burn intensify by the sudden movement.

Dante's eyes softened as he took in the poor boys state and walked into the room before he closed the door behind himself.

"It's that bad already?" Dante sighed, motioning for Den to sit down on the king-sized bed who gladly obeyed, knowing that defying Dante's order would do no good.

Den nodded in return and pulled the sleeve of his pullover up to reveal the blood colored burning Spiral Mark, the flashing light reflecting in Dante's amber eyes who moved to eye it closely.

The auburn haired male hummed in return before he narrowed his eyes. That was not good at all. He knew that it was only a matter of time until Breakspell would lose its effect and was frankly surprise that it had lasted this long in the first place since Sara had casted it for the first time, but he had hoped for it to last lightly longer nonetheless.

Reaching out to place his palm on the burning mark, Dante closed his eyes and took a moment to identify just how great the bad energy that was flowing out of his forearm actually was.

He felt the urge to pull his hand back the moment he touched the mark, the burning sensation feeling like someone was burning the flesh of his palm with a lighter but he knew that it was purely mental and not real and thus, tried to focus.

He noted that it was weaker than the first time and yet, knew that it would grow worse if they wouldn't cast Breakspell within the next minutes.

Thus, Dante whispered the name of the spell softly under his breath and as soon as he did, felt the energy flow through his veins and right into his palm like cold water. It was soothing the burning sensation and soon, he felt how Den's mark slowly lost its powers and the flames slowly died down, if only temporarily. It was as if he had locked it away but after some time, it would have gathered enough powers to break free again.

"Dante." Den called, wincing as he felt how the burning sensation tried to fight the spell but ever so slowly died down. "What about Zhalia? None of them knows how to use Breakspell." He reminded his mentor, concerned brown orbs seeking for Dante's amber ones.

Dante pursed his lips into a thin line as he heard Den's words, having already known that. The only one who could possibly know how to use Breakspell was Lucas and even then, he would still wonder what the activated mark could mean.

Then again, Zhalia wasn't one to ask for anything and this would produce the next problem. She wouldn't tell anyone about the mark unless they found out on their own, what meant that she would try to cope with the pain on her own.

One thing was for sure, they needed to get back to the rest of the team as soon as possible.

"I know." Dante sighed, removing his palm from Den's forearm before he massaged his forehead with one of his hands. "That's why we should hurry."

Den nodded, easily reading in between the lines of what Dante was saying or rather, what he didn't.

"Well then." Den spoke as he stood up, already feeling somewhat refreshed as he grabbed his amulets and securely put them in the pocket of his trousers. "Let's get this over with."

Dante gave the teen a curt nod before the two of them made their way out of the room and into the corridor, where Sophie, Sara and Dellix were already waiting for them, as was planned.

Sophie was dressed in a pair of beige skinny trousers together with a khaki pullover and a pair of white boots whereas Sara wore a midnight blue shirt that seemed lightly oversized with a jean beneath it, black boots adding to the outfit. Sophie's long strawberry-blonde locks were cascading down her shoulders whereas Sara decided to pull her hair up in a ponytail that still reached her mid-back. Dellix was dressed in his usual attire and Dante had to say that they looked like ordinary tourists, what was a good thing since they didn't want to gain too much attention.

"Ready?" Dellix inquired, pushing himself off of the wall that he was leaning against as he looked at Dante, who in return gave him a brief nod before the group started to make their way out of the hotel.

"Where did you say was the Hotel located at?" Sophie asked with a frown on her face as she tried to remember if Dante had told them the museums location in the jet.

Dante in return smiled lightly as he looked at Sophie. "It's a five minute walk from the Hotel." He informed them, much to their surprise. He watched how the others eyes widened as they begun to walk down the street, simply following Dante who seemed to casually observe the streets.

For others, it seemed as if he was merely admiring the busy streets and the city but the team knew that he was ensuring that no one was following them.

"Only five minutes?" Den exclaimed, not bothering to hide his surprise upon hearing that. Never had the amulets location been that close to their hotel or resting place for that matter and thus, it was a nice change to hear that it was only five minutes away from where they were staying at.

Dante in return merely nodded, what caused Den to whistle lowly in return as he casually put his hands into his pockets.

Lucas had given them enough information to localize the titan even without the notes and yet, Zhalia and the rest had to find the notes in order to find out what Klaus or the Blood Spiral for that matter needed the titan for.

"At this time of the day the museum is probably going to be well observed and the titan well guarded." Dellix reminded them from where he was walking next to Sophie, a thoughtful expression gracing his features.

Dante nodded in agreement. "Exactly, that's what the plan is there for." He merely returned, causing Dellix to lift a brow out of surprise. Dante hadn't mentioned a plan and whereas he knew that Dante wouldn't simply barge in and grab the titan as soon as they found it, he wondered what the plan would be about.

"Care to share?" Den asked as they rounded the corner, the museum already entering their line of vision. It seemed similar to a mansion and was located on some sort of small and somewhat isolated hill, signalizing that the rural areas were most likely starting from there on.

Dante opened his mouth to speak; however, he was unable to utter a word as something out of the corner of his eyes caught his attention and within the blink of an eye, he was standing in front of Sara and Sophie, in his hand the wrist of a stranger.

Sara and Sophie both came to a halt out of complete surprise and within an instant, Dellix and Den flanked Dante, both glaring at the young man who found himself in Dante's iron grip.

At first sight, he seemed like an ordinary person but the syringe in his hand proved otherwise, its gray thin needle glistening in the light of the sun.

His now startled gray eyes looked up at Dante's burning amber one's, his face pale and his hand shaking. He looked young, probably as old as Den and the others were.

Dante's eyes then fell onto his forearm and indeed, the Spiral mark was firmly placed onto it, burning brightly as half of the boys shirt rode up to expose it.

He looked way too scared to be a member of the Blood Spiral. Usually, the Blood Spiral trained their members well enough for them not to be scared and yet, this kid seemed to pee himself any moment now, which led Dante to only one conclusion.

"Guess you failed the test kid." He muttered, grabbing the syringe before he threw it a couple of meters away onto the busy street, a car driving right over it and thus, its existence was destroyed in an instant.

The teen blinked and just then did the others realize what was going on, Den instantly feeling pity for the young boy. He once was in the same situation as he was and therefore understood his inner commotion. He probably was a boy that had nothing to live for and needed to be part of something or, as he once needed, power.

Dante let go of the kid's wrist, knowing that he wouldn't be as stupid as to try something. Besides, he was way too young and inexperienced to do anything in the first place.

The young boy looked at the place where Dante had thrown the syringe to, his heart shattering at the sight. It had been his only way to get accepted into the Blood Spiral and now, it was gone.

He was certain that he would be dead meat by tomorrow.  
"No." He whispered his voice so soft that they almost missed it. "It was my only chance."

The auburn haired seeker sighed and shook his head, knowing that he would have never had a chance in the Blood Spiral in the first place.

"It wasn't." He told him, eyes stern as he looked the boy straight in the eye. "The Blood Spiral is a group of Killers and even though they promise a lot, they don't keep it. It's the wrong address if you want to start over and get a better life."

The young boy shook his head as he forced his eyes shut, his body shaking lightly as he tried to block out Dante's words. They promised him that if he joined them, his life would finally have a purpose and he would soon be known as a brave soldier of the Blood Spiral.

Deep inside he knew that Dante was only telling the truth and yet, his pride didn't allow him to apologize nor to simply trust Dante's words without another thought.

"It was my only chance." He repeated in a whisper, tears filling his innocent eyes. He was still a child, and Dante couldn't possibly blame him. "I have nowhere to go; I'll be dead by tomorrow morning."

Dante's eyes softened at the young boys words and before he could help it, he dug his hand into his jeans pocket. He then pulled out a small piece of paper with a number on it before he offered it to the young boy, who merely watched it with a pair of confused eyes.

"Call this number and tell them that I send you. They'll listen and help you, nothing will happen to you." Dante assured him, a small smile forming itself on his lips as he watched how the boy took the piece of paper and stared at it as if it was the most valuable thing he possessed.

His gray, tear-filled eyes then fell on Dante and rested there for some moments before they slid over to Sara and Sophie, regret filling his very orbs.

"I'm so sorry." He whispered, his voice breaking at the end of his sentence. Sara merely offered him a warm smile whereas Sophie took a step forwards, laying a hand on his shoulder what made him look up at her, clearly startled by her blunt action.

"It's fine, just do what he said. Trust me, if you do your life will change for the better and that I can promise you." Sophie told him, emerald eyes twinkling and from that moment on did the boy realize that maybe they were right and there was still hope.

He gulped down the lump that had formed itself in his throat and lowered his eyes until he was staring at the ground in shame. "I can't thank you enough, you are most kind." He whispered before he looked back up at the group. "I promise to make it up to you and return the favor."

Dante smirked at the boy, instantly noticing the small spark in his eyes that promised the start of something, something great. "See, that's the spirit. Now, I wish you well and remember, there's always a way that opposes the bad one, you just have to find it." Dante smiled before he motioned his team to follow him and with one last nod to the boy, the Huntik team continued to make their way towards the museum.

"Wow, I can't believe that he just wanted to ram a syringe into one of our arms." Sara whispered to Sophie, who in return merely snorted in a matter that caused Dellix to smirk at the young Casterwill heiress with pride.

"Sadly, that wasn't even the strangest thing that ever happened to us." Sophie replied a sigh passing her rosy lips as she thought back to everything that had happened to them already.

"Oh, Oh!" Den suddenly called, handsomely boyish grin lighting up his eyes as he looked over his shoulder and straight to the two girls. "Remember when that huge Octopus tried to eat Lok?" He recalled and Sophie instantly chuckled as she recalled the event.

"How could I forget that?" The strawberry-blonde haired seeker smiled, the scene practically replaying itself in front of her eyes.

"It tried to eat Lok?" Sara asked, eyes wide out of amusement as she looked at Den who in return nodded, clearly pleased by the way her eyes lit up even though he would never admit it, of course.

Sara laughed out loud, shaking her head as she imagined a huge Octopus sticking itself on Lok while the poor boy probably had a panic attack and run around like he was on fire.

"I always knew that Lok was cute but that's simply sick." The brunette female spoke, blowing a strand of her hair out of her face while Sophie teasingly nudged her, knowing that the female was simply playing with her. "Too bad he's off limits."

This time even Dante had to snort, unable to imagine Sara and Lok as a couple. That was an even weirder match than Lok and Sophie and simply-no. Not even able to be called a match.

Sophie huffed in return, her eyes lighting up as she thought of her blonde-haired boyfriend. "You can have him." She spoke, not without adding an afterthought though. "That is, if you've got enough money to support his eating habits."

"Lok and her?" Den asked, his eyes wide as he looked at Sara with brown orbs shining with humor in the sunlight. "That would be like shipping a klutz with a klutz, just imagine their poor child. I mean Lok has grown to be quite mature and less clumsy, but _Sara_." He spoke; stressing her name as he mockingly shook his head. "Poor guy who has to end with her."

Sophie put a hand over her mouth to cover up the giggle that dared to escape her, in vain, while Dellix merely smiled. Sara, however, pouted and walked past him, her nose high in the air as she slapped the back of his head before she moved to walk next to Dante, ignoring Den's protest upon getting hit from her.

"Jerk." She mumbled, loud enough for him to hear. "My boyfriend will be the person I'll one day marry and one thing is for sure; he'll be the most damn luckiest guy on earth." She proudly announced as they walked into the museum while Den merely pouted, still upset that she had hit him.

Dante glanced over his shoulder just in time to see that Sophie was looking at him as well; both of them exchanging a knowing look at Sara's announcement, sharing similar thoughts before Dante lovingly ruffled her hair.

"That he will definitely be." Dante assured her. _After everything that he has done already, he'll definitely be damn lucky that you'll stay with him._ He mentally added, his eyes sliding to Den for the split of a second before he rested his palm on Zhalia's protégées slim shoulder, keeping her close.

He had grown fond of her and had to admit that he was quite protective of her as well, as he was of the others. Yes, she has indeed grown onto him.

Sara threw Dante a grateful smile, her heart warming as she looked at him. She was indeed blessed to have become part of the team because this way, she has finally found a family that truly cared for her.

And she wouldn't trade that for anything in the world.

Focusing her attention back to the museum that they were currently in, they all were equally surprised to find that it was almost empty, save for a couple of tourists that were admiring old paintings and objects.

"Guess we'll split up again, huh?" Den spoke, remembering the last time that they have split up in a museum. It didn't end up well, that was for sure.

Dante nodded in return before he moved away from the small group and straight towards the reception, a small smile on his face as he pulled a letter out of his backpack and handed it to the young woman that was sitting behind the counter.

She accepted and read the paper without saying anything before she handed it back to Dante, a small smile on her face before she moved her hand beneath the counter and all of sudden, a loud alarm echoed through the museum, startling the Huntik team and the tourists.

Dante thanked the woman who moved from behind the counter to walk out of the museum, leading the confused tourists out of the museum what took about ten minutes before it was completely empty, safe for the Huntik team, who stared at Dante in pure astonishment.

"What the-"Dellix started before he shook his head at the auburn haired seeker. "You know what, I won't even ask."

Dante merely smirked in return. "Great." He commented before his expression turned into a serious one. "Dellix, I need you to keep an eye on Sophie and Sara. You three will take the left while Den and I'll look for the amulet at the western part of the building. We'll meet here in an hour and if you need anything, send one of your titans. "

Dellix as well as the others nodded in return and eventually, moved to walk to their assigned part of the museum together with their partners.

Sophie's emerald eyes took in the different kind of paintings that were hanging on the plain white-colored walls, amazed by the stories each one of them was telling her.

She was always fond of paintings and admired their existence whenever she could, that much was not a secret to the others. Dellix glanced at Sophie out of the corner of his eyes, noticing the way her eyes were shining in the rather dim lightning as her gaze was fixed on the paintings.

He mentally noted how different, yet similar the young Casterwill heiress and her brother were. Whereas she was seeking for the story of the painting and the message that it was supposed to deliver, Lucas was one to try to find out what the painter must have been thinking of while creating his piece.

Sara, however, didn't seem too impressed by the paintings and instead seemed to be lost in her own world, her eyes fixed on the road ahead of them as if she was hypnotized.

No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't figure this girl out. She was stronger than she seemed and yet, inexperienced and possessed a rather short temper. Then again, she seemed to have a soul more pure than he has ever encountered, he could feel it, and that revealed that in the past, she had learnt to appreciate the tiniest things that life had to offer due to something that must have happened to her some time ago.

Shaking his head, Dellix tried to free his head of these thoughts and turned his gaze back to where they were heading to.

The three rounded a corner and soon found themselves in the Egyptian part of the current exhibition.

The walls were painted a beautiful shade of gold, different kind of paintings of pharaohs gracing the wall while different kind of vases and other golden necklaces and bracelets were resting in beautiful showcases.

It seemed to be a dead end, two coffins placed in each corner of the wall while the lightning of the room was rather poor, leaving them almost unable to actually make out what was written on the signs next to the showcases.

"Think it could be here?" Sara spoke, running a finger over one of the showcases that displayed a beautiful silver necklace with a ruby placed in its middle, the red color shining dangerously in the dim light.

It was beautiful and Sara figured that it must have belonged to the wife of one of the Pharaohs.

"Possible." Sophie spoke, her voice soft as she as well admired the different kind of artifacts that were displayed, eyeing each one with the amount of amazement that they deserved.

"Is it an amulet, a bracelet or a ring?" Dellix inquired, having already opened an old treasure chest that was placed in the far back of the room but all he found was paintings, paintings and more paintings, much to his dismay.

"I don't know, but it could be possible that it's a ring or a bracelet, considering that Aquarius the titan of water is a ring as well." Sophie replied, stealthily making her way through the showcases as she tried to sense something, anything that may be close to seeker magic.

Her senses were on high alert and yet, she didn't sense anything yet. The room itself wasn't that huge and thus, she slowly started to doubt that the titan was resting here.

Sara as well looked everywhere she could think of for the titan and yet, nothing seemed to call for them or radiate any magic off.

She then reached the sarcophagus and eyed its carvings carefully, admiring the different kind of signs and little paintings that graced it.

The brunette allowed her palm to grace the cover of it, feeling the rough material under the soft flesh of her hand before she slid it down and pulled it back, a sigh of disappointment leaving her lips as she turned around and took a series of steps towards Sophie and Dellix, who were still looking for the titan.

"Guys, I don't think that the amulet's here." Sara breathed, her voice holding every bit of disappointment that she was currently feeling.

"I agree-"Sophie started as she looked up to where Sara was standing at, her eyes widening considerably as the rest of her sentence died on her throat, the princess unable to speak them as she let a small golden bracelet fall onto the ground, its sound startling Dellix as he was well looked up to see what the commotion was about.

"Sophie, what's wrong?" Sara asked, genuinely concerned as she took another step towards her teammate who merely opened her mouth in return, eyes still wide.

She gulped down the lump that had formed itself in her throat as she pointed at a place next to Sara, causing her to freeze.

"Found it." Sophie breathed and as soon as Dellix's eyes fell onto the place that Sophie was pointing at, he visibly froze and slowly reached for the sword that was neatly attached onto his back.

Sara froze as well, feeling her heart skip a beat as the hairs on the back of her neck were standing straight out of fright. It took all of her courage to turn her head lightly to the side just to see that standing a mere inch behind her was a-

"Mummy." She breathed, blue eyes widening out of realization as she felt her blood run cold, her eyes resting on the seemingly worn out mummy that was standing still, seemingly waiting for one of them to move as the yellow light that engulfed it seemed to only intensify.

"Sara, get out of the-" Sophie started to call but before she was able to say more, the Mummy's hand shot out and encircled itself around Sara's slim throat, catching them by surprise.

"Sara!" Sophie called on top of her lungs, worry clearly visible in her eyes as she noticed that the second mummy was making its way towards them, glowing in a similar yellow hue that was slightly weaker, but present nonetheless.

Sara inhaled sharply, her lungs burning as she felt how the surprisingly strong mummy's grip was tightening around her throat while she tried to summon a spell and yet, the words would not pass her lips.

"Touchram!" Sophie called, hitting the mummy's shoulder and even though it jerked slightly back, its grip didn't weaken the slightest. Indeed, it tightened even more if possible and Sara already felt dark spots dance in her vision.

She desperately wriggled under his grip, trying to free herself or at least loosen her grip but the mummy didn't waver.

Her senses were screaming at her to do something, anything to free herself and yet she felt herself unable to even do as much as think straight, the lack of air causing her to feel dizzy.

Once again she was helpless, and she hated it. What a pathetic way to die.

"Let her go." Dellix called, charging towards them as he buried his sword deep into the mummy's side but once again, the mummy merely looked at him, seemingly unfazed.

Sara's eyes found Dellix's worried ones, her eyes begging him to do something, anything to help her but just as her, he didn't know what would possibly work.

Sara returned her gaze to look at the mummy, her eyes then landing on her pale fingers that were encircled around the Mummy's bony wrist, pulling on them in order for it to let her go.

Sophie continued to fire spells at both Mummies', fear welling up in her as her mind was racing, trying to come up with a way that would help Sara. She had already summoned Sabriel that was aiding her in taking the Mummy down while she had sent Sorcerell to call Dante and Den.

The brunette that was currently fighting for her life wondered what she had done to always be the target before she suddenly felt a warm gush of energy on her right ring finger where Aquarius was located at, her eyes lightening up as she realized that there was still a way that she had yet to try.

The mummy growled lowly, picking her up by her throat so that she was dangling in the air and the need to breathe was slowly causing Sara to feel weaker, darkness crawling up the edges of her vision.

 _Come on Aquarius, please._ She mentally chanted, trying to channel her power into the ring as Zhalia had taught her. She had never actually summoned it and yet it was her only way to survive. Her instincts kicked in as her eyes shut close, forcing her powers to run into the ring and within the next moments she suddenly felt the powers leave her body and the ring in an instant, as if something in her exploded.

She faintly heard Sophie gasp as she felt the grip around her throat disappear in an instant, causing her to fall onto her knees and gasp for air like a fish out of the water.

Opening her eyes to look at what had happened; Sara was greeted by the sight of a woman, seemingly made out of water stand in front of her with her back turned to Sara.

The mummy was thrown back against the wall with a huge wave of water that the titan produced, a painfully loud wail similar to the ones that Sirens produced leaving it upon the impact.

"Sara!" Sophie yelled as she knelt down next to the exhausted teen, laying an arm around her waist as she mumbled the healing spell that would lend her some power. "Are you alright?" She asked, knowing that Sara had summoned Aquarius for the first time what afforded a whole lot of energy.

Sara nodded in return, caressing her throat and wincing as she felt how sore it was. She didn't trust her voice yet and remained silent, merely watching how Aquarius was bombarding the Mummy with water, inwardly praying that she wouldn't flood the entire room.

Sophie's emerald orbs looked at the scene in front of her, watching how Sabriel and Aquarius were taking on one titan while Dellix was battling the weaker one, trying to hold it at bay for as long as he could.

 _Sister is not under control._ Sophie heard the soft voice of Sabriel, what caused her to freeze as she looked at Aquarius, realizing what Sabriel meant.

The fact that Sara managed to summon Aquarius was a miracle itself since she had no great practice in summoning a titan as strong as this so it was only logical that she couldn't control it yet either.

"Sara, you need to gain control over Aquarius." Sophie whispered, knowing that her female teammate was in no shape to do so, but they had to at least try.

Sorcerell had just informed her Dante and Den were on their way, what definitely was a relief and yet, they had to find a way to control Aquarius and get the titan from the Mummy.

It was definitely easier said than done.

"Can't feel her." Sara rasped out, her blue eyes shining with panic as she looked at her titan that had seemingly gotten a mind of its own. She felt no connection to it any more, as if it had ripped itself free of the bond that they had and that was the worst that could happen, she realized.

It was a horrible feeling.

"Even if it doesn't feel like it, the bond is still there. Trust me, just command her to stop." Sophie assured her, eyes widening as she swiftly grabbed Sara's waist and used Hyperstride to jump out of the way of a huge wave that nearly washed over them if she wouldn't have reacted in time.

Sophie felt her heart beat fast beneath her chest, her eyes scanning the room as she took in the sigh that greeted her. Dellix was currently wrestling the weaker Mummy together with Sabriel while Aquarius was now facing the stronger Mummy on her own, seemingly drowning it as she attacked him with a strong waves of water, both of them trying to get a hold of the other.

"Aquarius!"Sara called, her sore throat aching as she used her voice, to yell nonetheless. "Stop it this instant!" She commanded but Aquarius didn't even seem to listen and merely continued to fight the Mummy, flooding a couple of paintings in the process.

Sophie watched the scene unfold itself with concern as she realized that it would most likely not work and thus, she would have to take the matter in her own hand.

"Sara, stay here and try to call Aquarius back into the ring, I'll take care of the rest." Sophie told her, offering her a small smile as she watched how Sara nodded, albeit reluctant.

The young Casterwill heiress let go of her teammate and balled her fists as she stared straight at the Mummy. While Aquarius was distracting the Mummy, it would be a great opportunity to look for the titan. The Mummy had to carry it in order to use its powers and emerald eyes instantly roamed its form, looking for anything that may seem like an amulet or something similar.

After some moments, Sophie's eyes came to a halt as she noticed a slim golden Bracelet around the Mummy's left ankle, her heart skipping a beat as she realized that it had to be the Mummy's source of power.

Now she only needed to get it.

Maybe if she would be able to grab a hold of it and bond with it the instant she touched it, the Mummy would lose its powers as well.

It was risky, but she had to take the risk even if it meant to get hurt.

"Guys, what's going- Oh shit."

Sophie's head snapped to the left to see that Dante and Den had arrived, Den voicing ante's thoughts as they both took in the condition of the room as well as what was going on.

"You're battling a freaking Mummy?!" Den called, his eyes wide as he looked at Sophie who in return nodded stiffly.

Dante frowned as he instantly noticed that Aquarius was fighting on its own before his amber orbs fell on Sara, who was sitting on the ground and leaned back against the wall, fighting to stay conscious as her gaze was fixed on her titan.

He hurriedly made his way over to the girl and knelt down next to her, tilting her chin upwards as he took in the way her eyes were glazed over.

"Sara, look at me." He whispered comfortingly, like a father would to his child when it was scared. Her helplessly blue orbs snapped to his and for once, Dante could see the true helplessness in them, the sheer fright and exhaustion that filled them together with the guilt.

"Dante," She mumbled, too weakened to say any more.

Den's eyes snapped to Sara, heart clenching as he took in the sight before he looked at Sophie, eyes narrowed. "What the hell happened?" He asked, lips pursed into a thin line as Sophie caught his eyes with her own pair of green ones.

"She summoned Aquarius, survival instinct when the Mummy tried to strangle her." She curtly informed him before she looked back at the Mummy, her eyes fixed on the bracelet.

"Den, I need your help." She then spoke, preventing him from making a comment about what had happened before. "We need to get the bracelet on the Mummy's ankle. You need to help Aquarius distract it while I try to bond it. But be careful, Sara has no control over Aquarius." Sophie informed him, glancing at him for the split of a second to see him nod, albeit hesitantly.

"Great, let's go!" Sophie called and with that, the two of them charged at the Mummy.

Whereas the two of them tried to turn their plan into reality, Dante tried to come up with a way to stop this disaster.

"Sara, calling a titan back is almost the same as summoning it." Dante revealed, trying to keep his voice as comforting as possible as he took in Sara's miserable state. "Just call your energy back. Think of Aquarius of a huge ball of energy, not as a titan until you learn how to summon it properly."

Sara blinked as she gazed at the ring that was now dull, the life that it usually harbored having faded into thin air. She knew that she had to call Aquarius back before she would cause even more damage, but it was always easier said than done.

"I simply call it back?" She whispered, afraid of failure. She watched Dante nod in return, the ghost of a smile on his lips as he tightened his grip on her shoulder.

"Exactly. It's easier than you think; you just need to want it. Remember, you have the power over the titan, not the titan over you. Don't let it take over." Dante firmly reminded her, hoping that his words would have the wanted affect on her.

Sara merely nodded in return and tried to stand up but as soon as she tried, found herself getting gently pulled up by Dante.

She shot him a grateful smile before she looked at Aquarius, who had just shot another wave towards the Mummy, almost hitting Sophie in the process.

Sophie was trying her best to get close to the bracelet and yet with Aquarius interfering all the time, it was harder than she had originally thought it would be.

"Den, the next time Aquarius hits it, tackle him with Iron Grip so that I can bond with the titan!" Sophie commanded, jumping into the air as she dodged the Mummy's hand that shot out to grab her upper arm.

"Boltlfare!" She called, hitting the titan for what felt like the hundredth time but like before, nothing happened and the Mummy continued to charge towards Den.

Just in that moment did Aquarius charge towards the Mummy that was currently attacking Den, her water gown flowing with her every movement before she lifted her hands high into the air and created a huge wave that she directed towards the Mummy before it threw him against the wall, causing it to fall into the ground like a wet doll.

"Den, now!" Sophie screamed, running towards it with the help of Nimblefire, Den doing the same as Sophie managed to grab its right ankle while Den used Irongrip to keep it's shoulders down, The Mummy instantly beginning to struggle beneath his grip. It was strong, that Den had to admit and he was slowly starting to have problems holding it down but he knew that Sophie needed time.

"Hurry up, I don't know how long I'll be able to hold it down!" Den called, eyes burning as he used every muscle he possessed in order to keep the Mummy down, Irongrip not being much of a help either.

Sophie instantly grabbed the other ankle and touched the bracelet, wincing as she felt it burn the flesh of her palm. She instantly realized that the titan would not bond with her no matter how hard she would try and thus, she tried to get it off of its ankle.

"Come on, come on." Sophie whispered, tugging onto the bracelet as she desperately tried to get it off, in vain.

Den suddenly felt a cold gush of air behind himself and turned his head to see that Aquarius was slowly making her way towards them, in her hands two huge balls made out of pure water what made his eyes widen out of panic.

"Sophie, hurry or else Aquarius will drown us!" Den called, pushing more strength into Irongrip as he tried to keep the Mummy down for some more moments.

"I am trying!" Sophie snapped, slowly starting to panic as she ignored her heart pounding hardly against her ribcage. She had somewhat loosened it and would undoubtedly get it off, but it would take some more moments due to the immense amount of heat that it radiated off.

"Sara!" Den yelled, his brown orbs snapping to the female that was standing on shaking legs, next to Dante who kept his eyes fixed on her in case her legs would give in. "Call Aquarius back, now!"

The girl looked at Den with wide and concerned eyes, panic daring to drown her as she watched how her titan was stalking towards the two.

"Aquarius, return!" Sara yelled, trying to focus on Aquarius energy and much to her surprise, saw how Aquarius stopped for the split of a second, as if an invisible force was pulling her back before she continued to walk towards them.

"Hurry!" Den called, pushing more energy into keeping the mummy down while Sophie was still fiddling with the bracelet, trying to use spells in order to weaken its energy..

"I'm trying!" Sara called back, having lost all her calm as she lifted her arm into the air as Dante had instructed her to do before she kept her eyes on her titan.

"Aquarius!" Sara yelled, eyes narrowed as she pulled onto the energy with all her might, what only caused the same reaction as before.

Aquarius then lifted her hands, pointing her palms towards Sara's teammates as Dante's usually calm eyes were now watching the titan, mentally readying himself to jump in if needed.

Den's brown eyes were wide, panic filling them while Sophie's heart felt as if it would jump out of her chest any minute now.

"Sara!" Dante yelled her name for one last time, the urgency and panic causing something inside of Sara to snap in that moment. She shut her eyes close and gritted her teeth as she balled her fist tightly and opened her eyes to reveal burning blue orbs.

"Aquarius, return this instant!" Sara demanded with all her might, pulling onto the titans energy with her own one and much to her relief, felt it return to the ring in an instant.

Aquarius faded into a ball of energy and returned to Sara's ring, causing Dante to heave a sigh of relief while Den exhaled the breath that he was holding as he was trying to calm his rapidly beating heart.

Sara felt the energy return to her ring and yet, something didn't feel right. She felt all of her powers leave her and before she could realize what was going on, darkness overcame her.

As soon as Dante saw her eyes roll back, he instantly moved to the young girl and caught her before her body collided with the ground, her pale and unconscious form in his arms as he picked her up.

She felt cold and her breathing was labored due to the exhaustion and yet, she managed to call Aquarius back, what made Dante more than proud. She fulfilled her part and now it was up to them to complete the mission.

"Got it!"

Sophie's yell of triumph caused Dante to look at her just in time to see how she ripped the bracelet off of the Mummy's ankle and with one last yell of protest, the Mummy turned still and silent, the power that once supported it disappearing and with it, its control over the Mummies.

Dellix pushed the motionless Mummy off of him and straight into the corner of the room where its sarcophagus was standing at, clearly disgusted as he dusted himself off.

Den released his grip on the motionless Mummy and swiftly stood up, a shiver running down his spine as he tried to suppress the urge to actually shudder as he realized that he had just battled a couple of centuries years old Mummies-

He offered Sophie a hand who gladly accepted it before he pulled her up onto her feet, the young Casterwill heiress, Dellix and Den instantly moving to Dante who was holding the still unconscious Sara in his arms.

Sophie eyed Sara with concern in her eyes. "Will she be alright?" She inquired in a whisper, taking in the dark bags under her eyes as Dante nodded, pulling her closer and shifting her into a more comfortable position.

"She will." He assured her, noticing the way Den's guilt-filled orbs were fixed on her motionless expression. Dellix fastened his sword onto his back once more and Dante looked at the bracelet in Sophie's hand, the dangerously golden hue that engulfed it promising great power.

"You can't bond with it?" Dante asked and Sophie shook her head in return, her emerald eyes falling onto the bracelet. It was still hot against her skin and no matter how hard she tried to make it bond with her, it seemed as if it simply refused to.

Dante nodded out of understanding before he looked at the devastated room, a sigh passing his lips. "Guess Metz will have to send someone that'll clean this mess for us." He muttered, knowing that Metz would not be delighted upon hearing that someone would have to clean this up and maybe even replace some of the things, what would cost a lot.

"Well then team, Mission is complete. Let's pack our things and visit the others."


	31. Reunited

A/N: I'm still alive aye. I would love to explain what was going on during the past four months but it's simply too much.

Anyways, I'll make sure to not let you wait this long ever again for another chapter. Pinky Promise.

I hope that you like this chapter and can forgive me ;-;

Love, Sara

Chapter 31- Reunited

-X-

"You don't actually expect me to tell you what happened just so that as soon as you got what you wanted, I'll get sent back into that cell to rot, do you?"

Zhalia felt her eyebrow twitch as his annoying voice hit her ear but as always, her expression remained blank, not giving her annoyance away.

DeFoe was sitting on a metal chair, his wrists handcuffed together while he was dressed in white attire. His hair was slightly longer than before and still pulled back into a ponytail, his usual sunglasses amiss and yet, the sparkle in his eyes didn't fade even after the past years in prison.

The table was the only thing that separated Zhalia and him in the small metal room, the bluenette leaning against the wall with her arms crossed above her chest.

"You should know me well enough to know that I'm not one for deals, DeFoe." Zhalia merely returned, her voice as cold as ice as it cut through the silence that formed itself after DeFoe's words.

The former male organization member merely slid down in his seat in order to make himself more comfortable as he smirked at the young woman, his eyes roaming her body as he took in the changes that Zhalia had undergone since the last time he had seen her.

"You seem freed of a burden, Miss Moon." DeFoe commented as he looked her straight in the eye, causing Zhalia's own ones to narrow at his words. "It seems like you don't regret to have betrayed the organization, your home and your own father. Oh how disappointed he must have been when you decided against killing Vale in front of his very own eyes."

DeFoe knew that he was playing with fire but seemingly didn't care as he watched Zhalia tense, the female knowing that he was only trying to anger her and yet, he had no right to talk like this especially about her family.

"Shut up." She demanded, her voice holding every bit of authority that would even intimidate the president himself. "You should know your place DeFoe. After all, it's you in prison not me." Zhalia spoke, pushing herself off of the wall as she tried to remain as calm as possible.

DeFoe merely snorted, grinning as he noticed the dimly lit fire in her hazel eyes, a fire that he had only seen when she was a little child.

"That may be the case, but it's all thanks to Dante Vale that you've managed to get your way." He spat Dante's name as if it was venom, a bitter laugh escaping his lips. "Poor fool would have done everything for you, the woman he loved more than himself. Pathetic."

Zhalia felt something inside her snap and faster than the eye could see, she had slammed her palms against the cold metal surface of the table, causing DeFoe to jump lightly in his seat out of surprise whereas Zhalia leaned forwards, eyes burning with anger.

"Don't you dare speak ill of him." She hissed so that only he could hear her words, her fists clenched as her eyes narrowed even further. "In comparison to you, I have regretted what I've done while being in the organization and realized that the entire organization was built on lies and took power of destroying others life."

DeFoe merely frowned, his fists clenching as he as well glared at Zhalia, his gaze not wavering. "The organization had great ideals, but the professor was a fool who didn't know how to properly use the gift he had received. He was weak and with someone like me at the top, we wouldn't have failed." He hissed back, venom lacing his every word as Zhalia actually lifted an eyebrow.

Was he really as naive as to believe that the Organization would have succeeded at dominating the world if it weren't for the professor?

"You're even dumber than I thought you were, DeFoe." Zhalia bluntly stated, an eyebrow lifted as she tilted her head lightly aside. "The organization was bound to break sooner or later and whereas the professor was indeed a fool to believe that he had made the right decisions, he was blinded by power, unlike you who are just blinded by plain stupidity."

She watched how he pursed his lips in order to refrain from shouting straight at her face and Zhalia smiled coldly at him, knowing that he didn't want to lose his chances of getting a deal in exchange of the information that they wanted from him.

"Who's the organizations current leader?" DeFoe asked, his voice tight as he tried to remain calm, the curiosity in his eyes causing Zhalia to eye him for another moment before she spoke.

"Grier. The organization is now considered an official ally of the Foundation." Zhalia blankly informed him and DeFoe's head snapped up to look at her with wide eyes upon hearing the words, his orbs filled with plain disbelief.

"That can't be true." He spoke, clearly surprised before his expression turned into an angered one. "You're lying!" DeFoe snarled and Zhalia merely rolled her eyes in return, standing upright again.

"Whether you believe me or not is up to you, but I have no reason to lie about something like that." Zhalia coldly returned, clearly not amused by his disbelief. She knew that it would be much to take in for him, since he had always been the one to treat Grier like his lapdog and to hear that he was now at the top and an ally of the Foundation was certainly more than horrible for him.

It was that moment that Zhalia noticed something changing in DeFoe's eyes, a gleam that she had last seen when she had first joined Dante's team as the spy coming back to life.

Zhalia instantly knew that his desire to get out of prison and take over the organization was greater than before and yet, she was no fool to allow him to get free, even if it meant not to get the information that she wanted from him.

DeFoe was crazy and would do anything in his power in order to get what he wanted even if it meant to kill people, and that was what made him dangerous. He was weak and rather dumb and yet, he was a plain crazy rat that proved to be an annoyance to the Huntik team.

A sudden burning sensation that rushed through her veins like fire caused Zhalia's heart to freeze, her expression turning into a frown as she refrained from wincing at the pain that suddenly came over her.

An all too familiar pain.

She inwardly cursed the Blood Spiral and wondered what on earth she did wrong in order for her Spiral Mark to get activated in this very moment.

Zhalia couldn't allow DeFoe to find out and thus, merely crossed her arms once more above her chest in order to hide the light glowing red hue that was hidden by her shirt.

DeFoe, who was seemingly still deeply occupied by his thoughts didn't seem to notice anything off and thus, Zhalia remained as collected as before.

"Listen." DeFoe spoke, a sigh escaping his lips as he turned to look at Zhalia with cold eyes. "I got a very tempting offer from the Blood Spiral the day they killed Klaus and even though I have no reason to decline it, I am not going to be someone's lap dog twice."

Zhalia's brows furrowed as she tried to read DeFoe's eyes, her gaze unwavering as she took in his every word.

"We both know that Klaus was no fool. He knew that they were going to kill him and thus, asked me to deliver you one last message. A message that would save the life of his daughter that betrayed and failed to save him. Quite a sad story, isn't it?" His words were as sharp as a knife and for once, DeFoe's words actually managed to get under her skin.

She averted his gaze and clenched her fists, her teeth biting on the inside of her cheek in order to not let out a string of curses at the former organization member.

If the Blood Spiral was able to get into Klaus cell, they would most likely manage to get DeFoe out of here as well, what was not good. He was a crazy, power lusting seeker and yet, out of respect for his former comrade, he was willing to pass on Klaus last message to her.

"My oh my." DeFoe grinned, tilting his head to take a better look at Zhalia's face. "Is that guilt that I spot there Zhalia?" He teased, causing Zhalia's expression to instantly become cold again, her usually poker face firm in place.

Her head snapped back up and her posture straightened. "They'll come and retrieve you." It wasn't a question, but DeFoe answered it anyways.

"They will, and that's exactly why Klaus wanted me to talk to you first." DeFoe revealed. "There will be war very soon and I can guarantee that this time, many of us won't be as lucky as we were last time. You should know best that there won't be a repetition of the past miracle."

Zhalia pursed her lips into a thin line, images of that night flashing in front of her eyes. She knew that he was right, but wouldn't admit it of course. DeFoe was not stupid, blinded by his hunger for power, but not stupid.

"What was his message, DeFoe?" Zhalia spoke, her voice amiss of any emotions. She wanted to get this over with, _fast_. All she wanted was their old life back, their old thrilling missions without having to worry if they would have to save the world tomorrow again.

"There's something in my right pocket. Take it out, and make sure to tell them to hurry before we'll catch up with them. "DeFoe advised with a grin.

Zhalia hesitated, knowing that Lok would most likely be frowning by now. Then again, what other choice did they have other than to trust in his word?

Zhalia slowly made her way next to him, the sound of her heels clacking against the concrete floor echoing through the small, cold room before she extended her hand and reached into the pocket of his trousers.

Why there were pockets in the first place, that she didn't know. It was kind of stupid if you were to ask her.

As soon as her hand was in his pocket did the cold feeling of metal grace the skin of her palm and without hesitation, she pulled the item outside.

As soon as her eyes landed on it, she felt the blood in her veins freeze and her eyes widen. Her gaze snapped to DeFoe's, the fire in her eyes coming back to life.

"You damn rat!" She yelled, kicking him in the chest what knocked the chair over. Without any further hesitation, Zhalia looked at her wrist in horror, the blinking red countdown causing her heart to clench in panic.

"Erik, get the others out of here **now**!" Zhalia yelled as she grabbed DeFoe by his collar and roughly slammed him against the opposite wall, her face merely inches away from his.

"You killed him in order to get into the Blood Spiral." Zhalia hissed, her fists glowing as her emotions were daring to take over her powers. "You were the one who ended his life and now try to blow all of us up!" Her grip around his throat tightened and even though she was sure that by now his lungs should be crushed, he managed to grin nonetheless.

The glint in his eyes was answer enough for Zhalia and with that, she lost it. "Venomhand!" she cried and delivered the punch straight into his abdomen, causing him to huff out of pain.

"Let's see who'll be the last one standing DeFoe. I swear that I won't spare your life twice."

And with that, Zhalia vanished into thin air.

-X-

Lok didn't know what was happening because the next moment, Erik was pulling them out of the building and together, the group was running for their lives.

"Damn it, this freak really is trying to blow us all up!" Erik yelled, running down the stairs at full speed with Lok and the others following close behind.

"Hold on, but what about the other prisoners?" Lucas inquired as they run through a hallway using Nimblefire since they didn't know how much time they've had left until the building would explode.

Erik's expression turned pitiful as he shook his head, a sigh escaping his lips. "There's no way that we could save them. We would have to reach out to the council and demand the password in order to open all of the locks at once. They're a lost case, no matter how much we may try to get them out."

Lucas gritted his teeth whereas Lok seemed plainly horrified. His heart was aching at the thought that these people had no chance of escaping and would die in a few seconds and even though they were in their cells for a reason, no one deserved to die like this.

After a good ten more seconds of running, they finally reached the backyard and as soon as they came to a halt did a loud explosion reach their ears.

Startled, the group of 4 looked at the now in flames engulfed building in shock. If they would have been just two seconds too slow, they wouldn't have made it in time.

Suddenly, Lane's eyes flew open wide as she realized something. "Wait, where's Zhalia?" She exclaimed, her voice laced with worry.

The rest of the group froze as well as they hastily scanned their surroundings for any sign of the bluenette, but in vain.

"How many times did I tell you that you don't have to worry about me kids." Came a familiar voice from behind them and without having to turn around, Lok heaved a sigh of relief while he held his chest.

"Damn Zhaal, you're going to be the reason why I'll find a gray hair soon!" Lok exclaimed with a pout before he turned around to look at his companion with a small smile.

Lucas merely heaved a sigh of relief, glad that Zhalia managed to make it out in time and was unharmed. If she were to get injured, everything would get even more complicated and whereas he as well was very well aware of the bluenettes skills, no one was invincible.

Able to avoid death, yes, that was a skill that many could train to get but to beat death? That was merely impossible.

"You gave us quite the scare Zhalia!" Lane exclaimed, whipping her brow out of exhaustion. She was used a lot but that was seriously nerve-wrecking.

"As if a little explosion like that would be able to get to her." Erik shook his head, winking at the woman that had moved to stand next to her. Zhalia merely rolled her eyes at him and Lok watched the two of them with a suspicious eye.

It seemed as if Zhalia was already used to his remarks and besides, they seemed quite familiar with one another.

Zhalia, who had noticed Lok openly staring at them, sighed. She knew that she would have to do some explaining to Lok later but for now, they had to hurry back to Venice.

"Well, what's going to be our next step?" Lucas inquired, crossing his arms above his chest while Lane had already dialed the Foundations Rotterdam HQ's number so that someone would take care of this mess until it would get too much attention.

"I guess I gotta look for a new job. Man, Metz better be giving me a well paid one because I am not going to form a team and go on missions." Erik mumbled to himself, causing Lok to lift his brows at the male.

"What's so bad about going on missions with a team?" Lok asked, slightly offended by Erik's obvious aversion for that.

Erik merely shook his head and nonchalantly waved his right hand to calm the young boy. "It's not like I hate it, but I'm simply too old for that." He shrugged, causing Lok to gape at him.

"Too old for mission? I don't think that I'll ever get too old for that!" Lok exclaimed, causing Zhalia to snicker at his words. Oh yes, that was definitely something that she could agree with. It seemed as if the Huntik team would never grow too old for missions.

Erik grinned before his gaze shifted to Zhalia. "Trust me, training this little ball of sunshine for ten years is quite exhausting." He revealed with a boyish grin and by now, Lok's eyes visibly widened as soon as he realized what Erik was saying.

"Wait. You were her mentor back in the organization days?" Lok exclaimed, causing Lucas to frown at the man in front of him.

"He was." Zhalia confirmed with a roll of her eyes. Well, seemed like she didn't need to do any further explanations to Lok and the rest of the team regarding her and Erik. "Well, until he betrayed the organization to become a member of the Foundation."

Lok's jaw dropped and Zhalia was certain that the poor boy would most likely forget how to breathe if it would continue to go like this.

Erik merely chuckled at the blonde's expression and shook his head before he patted Zhalia's shoulder, what caused her to glare at him.

"Well, like teacher like student I guess. Then again, I always had a feeling that she wouldn't stay in the Foundation. I didn't know why, but I simply did." Erik revealed and Zhalia huffed in return.

"Of course you did Erik." She bit back before she turned to Lane, who had just ended the call with the Foundation HQ's.

"Our jet is already waiting for us. Dante and the others have successfully retrieved the amulet and will reach Venice two hours before we will. Erik, you'll receive a plane-ticket at the airport to Germany in order to report to Metz and the rest of the council." Lane briefly explained, and Erik gave her a curt nod.

"Oh well," He shrugged. "It's been quite some time since I've been to Germany."

-X-

After having bid their farewells to Erik, the team made their way back to Venice where the others were already waiting for them.

As soon as the group of 4 stepped out of the private jet, Lok inhaled the fresh air of Venice.

"Oh how I have missed it here." Lok sighed, whereas Lucas merely glanced at the blonde out of the corner of his eyes. The strawberry blonde male was too concerned about the following days to actually relax for a moment.

He couldn't blame the blonde haired boy, it was simply his careless nature and yet, he couldn't understand how someone could be this clam in a situation such as the one that they were currently in.

"I love the air of Venice. It's so fresh and simply calming." Lane agreed with Lok, a smile touching her face as they made their way towards Dante's mansion.

Ever since the Casterwill mansion got attacked, the entire team was currently crashing at Dante's. It wasn't like he didn't have enough space for them to live in, but it just felt weird to live with the rest of the team again.

It just added more seriousness to the situation.

"You'll get used to it." Zhalia commented from behind Lucas, who merely stiffened before he continued to look at the road up ahead. "It's a nice change to the usual seriousness."

Lucas merely shrugged before he fell into step next to Zhalia, who looked at Lok's back. "I know, I guess that's what raised my sister's curiosity in him." Lucas concluded a thoughtful expression on his face. He knew that Lok was a good boy and was treating his sister like she deserved to get treated, but he was her brother after all and only wanted her best.

After a ten minute walk, the team finally reached the mansion. Lucas and Lane have left them to return to the Foundation HQ's to sleep there until they would discuss their following plans.

It was already night time and to say that they were exhausted would be an understatement. Lok was quite tired and yet, excited to see his girlfriend again.

As soon as they opened the door, the familiar scent of home overcame them. Lok, who was at the verge of falling asleep on the very floor, was the first one to enter the mansion. He was greeted by the dim light of the table lamp that lightened up the living room. There on the couch was Sophie who was fast asleep with a blanket covering her lower body. Sara and Den were most likely upstairs in their respective rooms and fast asleep, whereas Dante was sitting in his armchair, wide awake and reading a book.

As soon as he heard them enter, Dante closed his book and lifted his gaze to look at his team with a warm and welcoming smile.

"Welcome home team." He greeted them in a soft, low whisper in order to not wake Sophie. Lok gave Dante a grin and saluted him, equally as glad to see his mentor well and healthy.

"Thanks Dante. I really don't want to be rude but would you mind if I would go to my room and take a long and nice nap?" Lok mumbled rubbing his blue eyes. The poor boy looked paler than a ghost and the dark rings under his usually vibrant blue eyes were more visible than on other days.

Yes, Lok definitely needed his beauty sleep.

"Sure. I'm going to put Sophie into her bed. She tried to stay awake until you'd return but she was way too exhausted and fell asleep just ten minutes ago." Dante revealed, placing his book onto the nightstand next to the couch before he moved to gently scoop Sophie up into his arms.

Whereas all of them were very light sleepers, their consciousness seemingly didn't consider the members auras as a threat and thus, decided to let them peacefully continue sleeping.

Sophie merely stirred lightly before she sighed, her consciousness recognizing her mentor's aura. Dante threw Zhalia who was watching him with dull eyes a quick glance and that was all she needed in order to know what he meant.

She gave him a quick nod and together, the three of them made their way upstairs. Dante brought Sophie back into her room while Lok went into his. Zhalia walked down the all too familiar corridor until she reached the wooden door. Without hesitation she entered the room and as soon as she stepped inside, his familiar scent all but engulfed her.

It was calming, to say at last.

She threw her backpack into the corner of their room before she walked straight towards the bathroom and took a shower.

She didn't know how long she was simply standing there, allowing the icy droplets of water to run down her skin while she was deep in thought until she decided to get dressed in a nightgown that Dante had gifted her a couple of weeks ago.

Zhalia sighed out of content as she left the room, just to see Dante already sitting on the bed, his amber eyes fixed on her.

The bluenette shot him an exhausted smile, the smile that she only ever allowed him to see. Dante, who was already dressed in a pair of sweats and a plain black shirt, watched how she gracefully slipped under the satin covers.

The lights were out and the only source of light was the moonlight that filled the room. Dante then mirrored her movements and went to slip under the covers as well, his arms instantly reaching out to pull her body against his in a flash so that there was no space between them.

He tilted his head so hat his amber eyes could find the pair of hazel ones that he had come to love so much and in moments such as this one was he able to read them as if they were screaming, pleading to be understood.

"DeFoe killed him." Zhalia whispered, instantly feeling how Dante's hold on her tightened. Silence followed her words before Dante exhaled deeply, concern filling his burning eyes as well as fury.

"So he is still alive huh?" Dante muttered under his breath, the venom that laced his words clearly evident. To hear that he was still alive and Klaus murder was only worsening his mood and was not helping the matter at all.

"And a member of the Blood Spiral." Zhalia added, what caused Dante to huff out of anger. She looked up to see that a frown graced his features. He seemed genuinely mad and she knew just as well as he did that DeFoe was an annoying rat that would certainly mess with their plans, no matter how much of a threat he actually was.

He was plainly annoying.

Zhalia, who noticed the waves of displeasure that radiated off of Dante in waves, lifted a hand to gently caress Dante's cheek, what caused him to look back down at her.

"It's fine. Let's just enjoy this moment and try to catch some sleep. You seem pretty exhausted." Zhalia commented, her thumb tracing the dark cycles under his eye. She knew him well enough to know that even though he was trying to hide it, he was worn out because of their last mission.

Dante sighed before he teasingly lifted an auburn eyebrow at the raven haired female that laid in his arms, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

"You're one to talk Miss Moon. I don't think that you battled two mummies _and_ had to save the teens from getting eaten alive." He commented, but Zhalia merely huffed in return.

"I had to avoid getting blown up by the explosion that DeFoe had set up Vale." Zhalia merely returned, at what Dante merely snorted.

"Again? Seems like you attract explosions, hm." Dante commented as he nuzzled her neck and Zhalia merely rolled her eyes at his comment.

"How did you get that idea, detective?" She dryly muttered but as soon as the words have left her lips, she felt him chuckle against her neck, causing a shiver to run down her back.

"Sleep love." Dante muttered against her neck and Zhalia merely smiled before she allowed her already heavy eyelids to drop close, the last thing she sensed before drifting into sleep being the way Dante's hold on her tightened, as if he was scared that she would disappear.

And with that, the two of them fell asleep in one another's arms, knowing that they had to enjoy every second that they were able to spend together because they both knew best that it was only a matter of days until they would have to face their greatest challenge ever.

Their final War.


	32. Challenge Accepted

**A/N: Surprise loves!** Told ya that I would do my best to update faster again;)

Thanks for all the lovely reviews! I greatly appreciate them and am sooo happy to read that you liked it so far. Really!

I really hope that you're going to like this chapter so please, leave a comment and tell me what you thought of it!

Love y'all!

Chapter 32: Challenge Accepted

An icy sensation washed over Sophie as she stirred awake. A chill run down the length of her spine as she forced her heavy eyelids to open. It was still dark outside, what meant that it was still night time. Her mind was hazy and her vision blurry, much to her confusion. She blinked a series of times but no matter what she tried, her vision wouldn't clear. A sharp pain filled her head all of sudden that caused the strawberry blonde to hold her head in pain.

A grunt of pain escaped her lips as she curled up into a ball, the pain in her head worsening with every second that passed as suddenly, the cold sensation seemed to engulf her entire body.

Panic washed over her as she forced herself to crack open one of her eye in order to look down, but there was nothing.

A pained gasp escaped her as she kicked the blankets off of herself. Something was dead wrong.

Sophie rolled over onto her left side and gulped down before she pulled her leg back and with one deep breath, kicked the wall with the help of Nimblefire in hope that the spell may lend her some power.

She opened her mouth to call out to someone but no matter how hard she tried, no words seemed to be able to pass her lips, much to her horror.

The emerald eyed heiress kicked the wall again and this time, with as much force that she seemed to muster up. Since her room was right next to Loks, she hoped that he may hear her but unfortunately he was a very heavy sleeper so chances weren't all too high that he would.

A tear rolled down her cheek as the invisible icy force caused her heart to feel heavy in her chest while the pain in her head worsened.

 _Come on Lok, please._ She mentally begged her blonde teammate, the power behind her kicks fading slowly as she reached the point of exhaustion.

Another tear rolled down her cheek as she curled back into a fetus position, holding her head while her wild emerald eyes were trying to make out anything in the darkness.

Just then did she hear her door open and as soon as her eyes fell onto the door, the blurry image of a sleepy Lok filled her vision, the seeker standing in the doorway with a puzzled expression before he realized what was happening.

"Sophie!" Lok called; panic flooding over his senses as he run over to her side, bright blue eyes taking in her pained expression as he instantly felt confusion as well as shock wash over him.

What the hell was going on?

"Soph, what happened?" He asked, gently caressing her tear-stricken cheek as he turned her head so that she would face him, just for her to let out another whimper.

Lok's heart broke at the sound.

Sophie desperately tried to answer but no matter the effort, no word passed her lips what caused the desperation that she was currently feeling to intensify.

"Don't worry Sophie, I got this." Lok whispered, cradling the Strawberry blonde into his arms so that her head was resting in the crook of his neck, the moonlight that shone through her window illuminating her pale face.

Her emerald eyes were fixed on him, silently pleading him to stop her pain while he seemed to instantly understand. He lifted a hand and laid it over her head, summoning the familiar spell as the warmth of the power that rushed through his veins came to life.

"Everheal." Lok whispered as the golden hue engulfed the Casterwill heiress who in return stiffened before her tense shoulders relaxed. The blonde male heaved a sigh of relief as he continued to let the power wash over her but just when he thought that she would fall asleep, her eyes shot open wide and then-

She screamed.

Startled, Lok retrieved his hand and looked at Sophie in panic, confused as to what had happened.

The pain in Sophie's head intensified as after some time of Lok using Ever heal up to the point that she felt as if she just got shot.

"Lok!" Came a sudden yell, much to his relief as he suddenly found a rather concerned Dante, a sleepy Den, a panicked Sara and Zhalia, who was examining Sophie standing next to him.

"What the hell happened?" Den asked, seemingly concerned as he glanced at Sophie's squirming and tense body in the blonde's arms before he looked back to Lok.

Sara and Dante's gaze fell on him as well, waiting for an explanation while Zhalia took Sophie's body out of Lok's grasp and into her own arms, the young girl's icy body causing Zhalia to instantly tense at the familiar feeling that overcame her.

Sophie opened her eyes to look at Zhalia's hazel ones, a spark of relief filling them as her emerald orbs begged her to free her of this pain.

"I don't know." Lok said, eyes open wide in panic as he helplessly looked at Dante. "I heard her kicking against the wall so I went to check on her and then I found her like that." He revealed, his heart aching as he sneaked a glance at his girlfriend.

"I tried to use Everheal on her and it seemed to work in the beginning but then she started to scream all of sudden and that's when you guys arrived!" He swiftly explained, causing Dante to frown out of concern as he turned to look at Zhalia, who looked at Sophie.

The raven haired female that was currently holding Sophie lifted a hand as it suddenly glowed in a icy shade of blue, similar to Augerfrost, before she placed the palm against Sophie's forehead.

Said female stiffened under her touch as the others watched in both concern and confusion as to what Zhalia was doing before they noticed how Sophie relaxed under her touch, her breathing evening as Zhalia continued to let the spell work its magic on Sophie.

"Zhalia?" Den breathed in awe, seeing how Sophie's face regained its color. Zhalia merely sighed out of relief, glad that the spell worked while another part of her was also concerned by it because the cause of Sophie's pain was something that she had once experienced as well.

And still did to this very day.

"Zhalia," Sophie suddenly breathed in a whisper without opening her eyes. Zhalia merely sighed softly in return, an uneasy feeling of guilt settling in the pit of her stomach as she heard Sophie's next words.

"It hurts."

The bluenette allowed her powers to fade as she noticed how Sophie's body grew limp in her arms, signalizing her that she finally drifted back into a deep slumber before she carefully moved the young girl until she laid her back onto the bed, caressing her forehead for one more moment as she exhaled deeply.

"I know." Zhalia mumbled, knowing exactly what Sophie was going through just moments ago before she arrived. The others may think that Sophie referred to the spell that Zhalia was using, but she knew better.

The bluenette suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder as she continued to look at Sophie's now peaceful expression, eyes filled with pity.

"Could anyone explain what had just happened?" Den inquired in a hushed whisper, trying to analyze the situation whereas Dante simply shook his head, signalizing that he didn't know either.

Zhalia turned to look at Lok, suddenly looking beyond exhausted. "Lok, you'll stay with her right?" She silently asked whereas Lok briefly nodded in return.

"Of course." He replied, his hands finding Sophie's cold one as he longingly stared at her sleeping face, concern still clearly evident in his eyes.

"Team, go back to sleep." Dante softly ordered, seemingly sensing their exhaustion as he took in the weary look in his team's eyes.

Ever so hesitant, everyone but Lok went back into their respective rooms and after some minutes of trying, all managed to fall back into a deep slumber.

-X-

The next morning, Den was the first one to wake up.

The brown haired male turned to his left to look at his digital clock, the blinking red signs reading '7:00'.

Groaning as he realized that it was still early and that he didn't need to be at school until nine o'clock, he tried to fall back asleep but unfortunately it didn't seem to work, no matter how hard he tried.

Deciding that it was no use to waste his time trying, he cursed himself for waking up early when he finally got the chance to sleep a bit longer and kicked the blankets off of himself, rubbing his eyes in the process as he walked over to the bathroom to wash his face.

The sun was already shining and it was quite warm in Venice already, even though it was still early in the morning and thus, he didn't even bother to put on a shirt and stayed in his pajama pants only.

It wasn't like his team had never seen him shirtless before, heck they had even seen him in his boxers already, by accident of course.

Den snickered as he thought back to the time when he just came out of the shower and the entire team minus Sara sat on his bed, seemingly waiting for him to discuss something that couldn't wait.

He had never seen Lok jump so fast in order to cover Sophie's eyes.

Shaking his head at the memory, Den made his way down the stairs, the cool floor under his feet making it more bearable in the morning heat as he eventually reached the kitchen.

Deciding that since he was the first one to wake up he could just as well prepare breakfast, the brunette rummaged through the cupboards and fridge in order to find the ingredients for the pancakes he was planning to make.

Back in the days when it was just him and Harrison, Den was compelled to learn how to cook in order to take care of him and his baby brother so he knew the basics of cooking, if not even more.

Whilst preparing breakfast, Den heard the sound of footsteps from upstairs and instantly knew by the mere fact that they were audible who it was.

For starters, you never heard Dante or Zhalia. They just seemingly appear out of nowhere without making as much as a sound, what was quite creepy if someone were to ask him.

Sophie's footsteps were even and soft, only confirming that she was royalty whereas Loks footsteps were heavy, and there was no chance in hell that he was awake this early.

That only left one option.

"Good Morning klutz." He greeted without turning around, flipping the pancake in the pan as he heard a snort from behind him, causing him to smirk.

"Mornin' jerk." Sara replied with a yawn, pulling the chair back before she tiredly slumped down on it, propping her chin onto her palm while she placed her elbow onto the surface of the already set table.

She lifted a brow at his bare back, not trusting her eyes as she watched him flipping the pancake in the pan as if he had years of practice.

Over the past years, Den had become more muscular and lean due to his training, just as Lok did. His jaw became more defined, he was slightly taller than before and lightly broader as well, what was quite a plus point in combat since it was slightly harder to push the small and rather thin boy around.

Den eventually placed the now finished pancake onto the set of already done one's and carried the plate full of pancakes over to the dining table, gently placing it down.

He glanced at his still sleepy teammate who was looking at him with raised eyebrows, clearly surprised at the sight of him preparing breakfast.

"Well, normally I would ask you how you've slept." Den stated sitting down opposite of her as he leaned back in his chair with a cat-like grin, what caused Sara to instantly frown at him out of suspicion. That grin never meant good.

"But judging by the ugly dark circles under your eyes that make you look like a starving zombie, I already got my answer." He stated, enjoying the sight of Sara furrowing her brows at him as a low growl emitted from her throat.

"Sorry for not being able to sleep out of fear that some kind of freaky spell would try to get into my head just like it did to Sophie. You guys may be used to it, but I sure as hell ain't." Sara mumbled, angrily taking a bite of the freshly made pancake.

Den huffed out of amusement, eyes sparkling at her words as he tilted his head lightly to the right. "My oh my, our little missy is scared of ghosts?" He teased with sharp hazel eyes as he watched Sara glare at him in return.

"After what I have witnessed some hours ago, damn right I am." Sara admitted, her eyes falling onto her plate. "I doubt that it was a onetime thing. Whatever it was will return for the next of us, I'm sure of that."

Den's gaze softened as he realized that she really seemed affected by yesterday night's event. Of course, he as well was concerned about Sophie and her safety, but he knew that as long as Zhalia was able to use the spell, they didn't need to fear anything until they figured out what they were dealing with.

"Agreed." Den spoke, taking a sip of his freshly pressed orange juice before he sighed. "But I can guarantee you that you won't be the next if it were to happen again, what I wouldn't be too sure of. I doubt that a ghost would attack one of its companions." He half-heartedly joked, watching how he tried her best to muster up a glare through her smile at his comment.

"Very funny." Sara rolled her eyes. "We'll see about that."

Den nodded in agreement, a wicked smirk forming on his lips as he watched her run a hand through her long brown locks. "Maybe they'll finally take you back with them. I mean in the end, it would be a great opportunity for you to learn how to scare people." He cheerfully suggested before a thoughtful expression crossed his face. "Then again, you're already doing a pretty good job. Maybe you're a natural talent?"

He swiftly dodged the pancake that was flying towards his face.

"Let's hope that you'll be the next one so that I don't have to put up with your flattering compliments anymore." The sarcasm was thick in her voice and her rich blue eyes sparkled in amusement, whereas Den feigned a hurt and offended look at her.

He laid a hand over his chest and feigned sadness, a pout forming itself on his lips. "Guess that I have blown my cover then. And here I was thinking that we were partners in crime, you have hurt my feelings klutz."

A flash of surprise sparked in Sara's orbs at his words and Den had almost missed it but as soon as he had noticed it, he smiled as an idea suddenly came into his mind.

"Partners in crime?" The brunette asked, a perfectly shaped eyebrow arched upon hearing his words. "Maybe they'll teach you to calculate how high the possibility of that happening anytime soon at school today."

Den frowned, having somewhat forgotten that he would have to go to school today. Sophie, Lok and Sara would also have to attend it today and even though he knew that Lok and Dante would both oppose to the idea, Sophie would argue until they would leave her be.

Besides, Lok would stay by her side and watch her every second anyways. Den had been unable to attend school the past two lessons because he had to take care of Foundation related stuff but now that he thought of it, Sara would most likely be in the same class as he and the others were in.

"Oh I certainly hope so." Den chuckled, eyes brightening up. "It's only good that we're in the same class then. You should take notes so that you won't forget how high the possibility is."

Sara's eyes widened as she chocked on her water, coughing as she placed the glass back onto the table while she tried to regain her calm.

"Oh you've got to be kidding me." She groaned as she calmed, covering her face with her hands as she sunk lower in her seat. "Am I cursed or why do I have to spend like 24/7 with you?"

Den merely shrugged, taking a huge bite of his pancake at what Sara merely grimaced. "Fate." He merely offered while still chewing his pancake. He then eyed her and noticed that she was still dressed in an oversized white Shirt what reached her knees that she had received from Lok some time ago and a pair of plain black leggings and fluffy pink socks.

"Don't you need to get dressed or something?" He asked with a frown, instantly noticing how her eyes flashed and her expression turned into an offended one.

"Rude much." Sara mumbled, looking down at her half-eaten pancake as her appetite suddenly faded into thin air.

Den frowned for a second, not realizing his mistake before he froze in place. "Wait, I didn't mean that I'm annoyed by you being here or something." He quickly tried to clarify what he meant but Sara merely shook her head at him, a sigh passing her lips as she rolled her eyes in return.

"Sure you didn't." She mumbled, standing up and already making her way out of the kitchen. "Well I am going to change then."

Without as much as a backwards glance at Den, she left him alone at the kitchen. Den remained in his seat, unmoving as he waited until the sound of her footsteps faded into silence.

And then he did the first thing that came to his mind. He groaned and laid his head against the cool surface of the table.

Why was it that he always seemed to piss her off? They were teammates and needed to get along and whereas he already considered her a friend despite of their little arguments from time to time, he somewhat feared that she actually hated him.

Well then again, she had every reason to.

"I'm an ass." He concluded, thinking out loud before he groaned once more, feeling at a loss of what to do to make this entire friendship thing work and making her feel welcomed instead of unwanted.

That was going to be a very long day at school.

-X-

"4."

"Correct Mister Lambert."

Den high-fived Lok whereas the blonde grinned as if he had just won in the lottery. Sophie rolled her eyes whereas Sara chuckled at his proud expression, knowing that he would forever remember this moment.

The four teens were all seated in the same row started by Den and followed by Lok, Sophie and Sara. Some other kids rolled their eyes at Lok whereas some ignored him, being already used to his antics. Lok was still the weird kid to them that had somehow managed to break Ice Queen Sophie's shell whereas Den was the mysterious guy that seemed close to them and _everyone_ knew that girls loved guys like that.

Yes, you could say that Den Fears was quite popular at school without even trying.

The others assumed that since Sara was the new girl, Lok and Sophie had taken her under his wings but somehow, Sara couldn't help but shiver at the stares that she received.

And let me assure you, they were _not_ nice stares. More like killing ones.

The bell suddenly rang, signalizing that this lesson was over and that it was lunch time. The team made their way into the cafeteria and chose a table close to the windows to sit down and eat.

"I miss Dante." Sophie suddenly groaned, already missing her teacher upon hearing her school teachers boring lessons. After yesterday night's incident, she acted as if it had never happened and didn't bring it up again and even though the others were still concerned, they decided not to mention it again.

"I miss Zhalia." Den followed, pouting as he poked his food with the fork that seemed anything but clean, his appetite instantly dropping.

"I miss Cherit." Lok sighed, the mere thought of his little friend making him want to cry out of frustration. He hadn't heard of him for quite some time now and even though he knew that he was probably having the time of his life now, Lok was sad that he couldn't be a part of it.

"We're hopeless." Den snorted, deciding that he would rather starve than eat the food that he had picked as he exhaled deeply.

So much for lunch.

"Oh come on Den, you have to eat something!" Sophie chided, her emerald eyes sternly fixed on Den who groaned in return.

"Don't wanna." He briefly returned, hiding his face in his arms which were firmly placed on the table that he doubts was all that well cleaned either.

Sophie merely shook her head at her teammate, too tired to continue arguing with him as she continued to eat her food before she turned her head to look at Lok, who was seated opposite of her.

"Did you do your History homework?" Sophie asked, initiating a conversation just for the sake of it because she knew that Lok didn't do it.

Lok send her a sheepish grin and shook his head, his blue eye shining with guilt. "Nope. I kinda, uh, forgot about them." He admitted as he took a sip of his apple-juice.

Sophie then looked at Sara, who has been eerily quiet for quite some time now. Sophie gently touched her upper arm what caused Sara to look at her and as soon as their eyes met did Sophie know that something was off.

She seemed bothered, if not even uncomfortable as she averted her eyes from Sophie's, the Casterwills orbs instantly following the brunette ones before they eventually fell onto the source of Sara's discomfort.

Sitting around two tables away from them was a group of boys of their class that were openly ogling her innocent teammate. Sophie's hold on Sara's upper arm tightened as she looked at the table next to theirs and noticed that some other kids, mostly girls but also some boys about their age were staring at Sara in a judging and somewhat disgusted matter.

Sophie glared at them before she stood up from her seat, causing Sara to look up at her teammate in alarm. The Casterwill heiress knew that their reputation was quite a weird one since they were well known at school, but that didn't give them permission to hate on her teammate just because she was one of them now.

Lok looked at Sophie somewhat puzzled, not having noticed anything as he was too focused on his new Rubik cube before Sophie pulled Sara up to stand next to her, grabbing the girls hand tightly as she shot the small group of students a glare that suggested them to better stay out of their way if they wanted to continue living.

She was in no mood for any of this and sure as hell wouldn't watch Sara getting both bullied and harassed just because she was hanging out with them.

"Lok, Den," Sophie softly called, her eyes now falling onto said boys as she noticed that Lok was once again looking down at his Rubik cube and that Den's face was still hidden in his arms. "Sara and I are going to go to the washroom. We'll meet you in PE so stay out of trouble."

Lok gave her a curt nod and one of his trademark grins as he saluted her. "Your word is my command Lady Casterwill." He spoke, causing Sophie to smile at his comment now matter how hard she had tried to suppress it.

Sophie grabbed her bag and Sara mirrored her actions before she allowed her fellow female teammate to drag her out of the hall.

Lok merely continued to play with his Rubik Cube while Den remained silent, having seemingly dozed off.

"Dude, I don't think that's a good idea." Came one of the boys voices that was seated two tables away from them, but Lok didn't really pay them much mind.

"I agree. " Came another. "Have you seen the glare that the Casterwill girl sent us? I thought that I would turn into stone if I were to look into her eyes any longer."

Scratch that. By now, Lok visibly stiffened his expression turned into a frown as he heard then mention Sophie's surname.

He kicked Den's shin from under the table, causing his fellow teammate to groan in return. "What the hell Lok-" The brown haired boy mumbled, lifting his head to glare at the blonde who seemed eerily serious, much to Den's confusion.

"Pshh." Lok whispered, looking back at the boys so that Den would get the sign. "Listen."

Den, although confused, did as told and after some moments froze upon hearing their next words.

"Didn't you always like Sophie, Antonio?" One of them spoke, causing Lok to instantly tightening his hold on his toy, the fire in his blue eyes flaring to life.

Den narrowed his eyes. These boys were popular at their school and very well known for being conceited and players and even though they never tried to mess with them, Den guessed that by what they just heard they would cause trouble sooner or later.

"Yeah, she's kinda cute so what? We all know that you've got the hots for the new girl ever since you've seen her in class this morning." The boy commented with a grin that was nothing but dirty.

His friend chuckled in return. "At the end of the day, she'll be coming home with me, I bet my watch on it."

Upon hearing his words, Den visibly stiffened just as Lok had moments before, the blood in his veins burning as he felt a sudden rush of anger overcome him.

They did _not_ just say what he thought they did because if they had, he guessed that by the end of the day these jerks would end up drowning at the beach.

"Lok." Den muttered under his breath, his voice barely above a whisper as Lok merely huffed in return, knowing exactly what Den was thinking.

"Seems like PE's going to be fun for a change." Lok muttered as they both stood up, the sound of their chairs squeaking at the sudden motion earning the attention of the three tables closest to them what caused the boys to break off their little chat and making them look at the two of them.

Den's eyes were as cold as ice whereas Loks blue orbs were burning with rage. Everyone instantly noticed the waves of anger and seriousness they emitted as well as power and all of sudden, everything went silent.

Den smirked all of sudden, his eyes holding clearly visible anger before he grabbed his backpack and slung it over his shoulder, Lok grabbing his bag as he shot them one last warning glare, which the others instantly recognized as a challenging one.

And judging by the way the guy who was betting his Rolex suddenly threw them a cat-like grin, they all knew that PE was going to be _very_ fun indeed.

Little did he know that Lok and Den were going to go anything but easy on him. Quite the opposite already.

They were going to show them to better not mess with what belonged on their side.


	33. Turning tides

**A/N:** Guess who's back to updating regularly again;)

Thanks for the past reviews! I hope that you'll like this chapter as well and if you did, please let me know by reviewing this one as well!

All the love, Sara

-X-

Chapter 33: Turning tides

"Sophie?" Sara cautiously called while the Casterwill heiress was still dragging her through the crowded hallways of school.

Sophie eventually turned at a corner and walked up the empty stairs, coming to a halt on the midst of them and motioning for Sara to sit down.

The girl instantly got the hint and did as –more or less- told, slumping down onto the cold stairs while Sophie remained standing on a lower step right in front of her, her eyes holding every ounce of seriousness that existed.

"I guess I should have warned you beforehand, but I didn't think that they would go this far." Sophie sighed, her eyes fixed on the puzzled face of her teammate.

The strawberry blonde suddenly paced on the stair step that she was currently on, her hands firmly clasped behind her back as she blew a strand of hair out of her face.

Of course she had known that Sara would gain attention because she was the new kid, quite pretty on top of that and also somehow managed to get close to them really fast.

Sophie just didn't expect her to get that much attention.

It had been the same with her back in the days. Sophie never conversed with others, only if it was necessary and that's why they started to call her princess-because none of them could reach her both intelligence and as a person.

She ignored every guy's attempts of talking to her just as she ignored the glances of envy and hushed whispers from her female classmates.

Her, Lok and Den were popular, but for different reason than others usually were. They simply were the odd group where every individual was strange in its own way. Sophie had always rejected others and was a nerd, whereas Den didn't talk much to others either and stayed with Sophie and Lok during classes and break. Lok was simply being his cheerful and bright self, what others found obviously weird.

"These ignorant stuck up jerks!" The Casterwill princess muttered, clearly mad that they even dared to treat them like that even though the Huntik team had risked their own lives in order to save the ones from people such as them.

"Calm down Sophie, they're boys what else did you expect?" Sara gently tried to reason with Sophie, hoping that her blonde friend would calm down.

Sophie's emerald eyes fell on Sara and for a moment, she pursed her lips into a thin line. "Don't let them get to you Sara. No matter what you hear others whisper about you, or if they try to hit on you, simply ignore it and act as if they were air." She advised her younger friend, hoping that she would grow to ignore the comments that others would certainly make about her.

Sara was a pretty, intelligent young girl with quite a temper but also well manners. She was simply too nice to not take their insults to heart, and Sophie didn't want to see her sad.

Sara threw her companion a soft smile, grateful for her concern. "Don't worry Sophie, I'll manage." She assured her as she stood up and run a hand through her hair, a habit that Sophie had noticed Sara would unconsciously do whenever she was feeling nervous.

Sophie merely shook her head with a small smile, her eyes softening as she exhaled deeply. "Alright then, just remember that we've got your backs." Sophie sternly reminded her as she grabbed her bag and slowly made her way down the stairs, Sara following close behind. "Then again, we shouldn't bring it up when we're with the boys."

Sara lifted a brow at Sophie's last statement, confusion filling her blue eyes as they made their way towards the gym, where their next lesson would be at.

Sophie shot her a small smile, feigning innocence as the face of her brown haired male teammate flashed in front of her eyes for the split of a second before it faded back into the back of her mind just as fast as it had appeared.

"Let's just say that they don't like to share."

-X-

Half an hour later, their entire class was already in the gym and were either warming up before lesson or chatting with each other.

Sophie and Sara were one of the last one's to enter the gym, wearing the gym outfit that the school provided its students with. All girls wore a pair of black shorts and a plain white shirt that wore the schools emblem on it.

Sophie scanned the gym for her teammates and smiled as all too familiar blue eyes locked with hers the instant her emerald ones met his. The Casterwill heiress nudged Sara's sisde, causing her to look into Loks direction before she smiled as well. The blonde was breathing heavily, an exhausted smile on his face while Den was standing opposite of him, seeming just as exhausted as their eyes met.

It seemed like the two of them were sparring-without spells of course- in the corner of the gym, going unnoticed by their classmates.

The girls started to make their way towards them and Lok's smile turned into a grin upon seeing the girls. He always felt comfortable whenever his teammates were around him and the more they were, the more fun they usually had.

That was, until his eyes landed on the black-haired male student from before who seemingly liked Sophie and was with his group of friends, eyeing the two girls as well. He was holding a football in his hand while the others were mumbling, his blonde haired friend that was after Sara giving his nod of approval to something as he slowly left them, standing some steps behind the girls who were oblivious to him.

Lok furrowed his blonde brows out of confusion, wondering what they were up to before he saw the football getting kicked by the black-haired one and realized that it was aimed at Sara, whow as too busy talking with Sophie to notice it.

His blue eyes widened out of panic but before he was as much as able to open his mouth, a blur passed him by at the speed of light.

Before he was able to realize what had just happened, he looked back at where Sophie and Sara were standing mere moments ago just to see that Den was already standing there.

As soon as Den had realized what the others were planning, he charged towards his two teammate with the help of Nimblefire, not caring if someone would see him running that fast. All he knew was that he needed to reach them just in time before this punk would be able to.

Fortunately, he was able to do so and as soon as he had reached them, his eyes met puzzled as well as startled blue eyes that were looking at him before he pulled her against him in a flash, turning their bodies so that his back was exposed to the blow.

As soon as he felt the ball hit his back with rather strong force, he winced lightly and tightened his hold on the brown haired girl.

He heard a gasp coming from both her and Sophie and for a moment, he wanted to do nothing more than to rip these jerks heads off.

Whereas Dem knew that their plan was to shoot the ball towards Sara, it was also part of their plan that the blonde haired owner of the Rolex would probably push her out of the way without getting the hit either.

What angered him the most though was that the Rolex guy wouldn't have been able to reach Sara in time as they have just witnessed and thus, the ball would have hit her straight into the stomach with one hell of a force.

Sara's grip on the front of his shirt tightened out of shock as she felt the impact of the ball on Den's back, eyes wide out of surprise and concern as she realized what had just happened.

All of sudden, silence fell over the entire gym and every student's attention was directed at the Huntik team just like the black haired boy.

Lok, who had witnessed it all, heaved a sigh of relief as he saw that Den had made it just in time before a wave of sheer anger overcame him.

The blonde walked over to his friends and turned towards the guy who had shot the ball. Lok's eyes were clearly displaying his anger as he narrowed his brows at them, the urge to shoot them with a Boltflare overcoming him as he already felt the power in his veins coming to life, itching to get used by their master.

"Antionio, they look quite pissed." One of the black haired friends spoke, causing Antonio to merely roll his eyes at him.

Antonio's eyes fell on his blonde friend who was now standing almost right behind Den, the cold anger of getting his opportunity taken away from him clearly showing.

"It's not my fault that Jake wasn't fast enough." He merely returned under his breath, but Lok heard it well enough, just like the rest of the Huntik team.

Sophie frowned as she took a series of steps forward, growling lowly before she looked at the rest of the students.  
"What's there to look at?" She snapped, clearly tired of the attention they were getting. "Mind your own business."

The students, ever so hesitant, flinched at Sophie's tone and did as told. Sophie's gaze then snapped back to Antonio and judging by the fire that was burning in her eyes, Lok instantly knew that this time the Casterwill heiress would not hold back.

"Care to explain why the hell you would want to shoot my friend?" Sophie inquired, noticing the way Antonio's eyes lightened up as he noticed her angered expression, something about it fueling his already more than obvious interest that he had in her.

"Calm down Muffin, it was an accident." He nonchalantly returned, not seeing why they were making such a big deal out of it and by then, it was Lok's turn to speak up.

"An accident?" He coldly snapped, scoffing coldly at his classmate. "We all know that you and your airhead of a friend set it up!" Lok returned, angered by the fact that he didn't even have the guts to stand up for what he had done.

Also, no one was allowed to call his girlfriend muffin.

While Lok and Sophie were arguing with Antonio, Den pulled lightly back and looked down at his teammate in order to check if she was alright, concern filled brown eyes boring straight into her orbs.

"Are you okay?" He asked the brunette female who merely stared up at him, still having to process everything that had just happened before she blinked and quickly shook her head.

"Yeah, I guess so." She returned, taking a step back as he let go of her and she threw him a grateful smile, eyes filled with sincerity. "Thanks to you."

She watched how he merely gave her a curt nod in return, his posture obviously still stiffened and his fist clenched, eyes burning with a cold fire that may be concealed and invisible to others, but more than obvious to her.

Sara frowned out of concern. "Den-"

She suddenly felt herself getting pulled backwards and straight into someone's chest, causing her eyes to widen out of surprise before she looked up to see a familiar face.

Jake was shooting her one of his trademark blinding grins as he faked a look of concern, one which Sara instantly saw through.

"I just saw what happened." He started, holding her wrists tighter than necessary what caused her to flinch lightly. "I better take you to the nurse so that she can check on you." Jake offered, causing Sara to frown in return.

They really thought that she was dumb, didn't they? As soon as she heard Lok and Sophie talking to Antonio, she instantly got what was going on and to say that she was angry would have been an understatement.

She opened her mouth and was ready to tell him to go to hell, but someone beat it to her.

"You got exactly two seconds to take your hands off of her before I'll break them."

Jake looked up to the owner of the voice, somewhat surprised at Den's words before he grinned at him, a part of him having already expected the brown haired male to step in.

Sara's head snapped over to look at Den, whose cold eyes seemed to be burning greater than ever before whereas his lips were pursed into a thin line.

Jake, however, merely tightened his grip on Sara's petite hands what caused her to wince at the sudden pressure, a low growl passing Den's lips as he took a step towards Jake, who was by now feigning innocence. He seemingly just considered Den's words as an empty threat, and that was his mistake.

"Chill, I was just saying that I would take her to the nurse." Jake replied, noticing how Sophie and Lok have seemingly stopped their argument with Antonio and were serving as Den's back up.

He could have sworn that he saw Den's fingers twitch at his words, and he was right because Den wanted nothing more than to beat some sense into the blonde. Sophie, seemingly sensing it merely laid a hand on Den's shoulder in order to both calm and signalize him that now was neither the time nor right place to do so.

"You won't take her anywhere buddy, she is to stay with _me_." Den coldly replied, causing Jake to lift a brow at him. Den knew that he was not going to back down easily, but he was still no match for him.

"Oh is that so?" Jake inquired, shrugging lightly as he smirked. "Well sorry, but I guess I'll have to steal her from you then." The blonde then looked down at an already scowling Sara, who was ready to break his jaw as she saw how he lifted a hand in order to pat her head, but Den was faster

He took a step forward and in a flash, Jake found his hand in Den's steel grip, the brown haired boy using the force of Dragonfist in order to get his point across whereas Lok grabbed Sara and pulled her behind him, just to ensure her safety.

"I think you didn't get it the first time." Den muttered, tightened his hold on Jake's hand as the sound of a crack pierced the air, Jake's eyes now open wide out of both pain and shock as a yell of pain escaped his lips before he looked at Den, who seemed beyond pissed.

"She is to stay with _me_ , and I won't hesitate to break more than your hand if I ever see you or your dumb friends around either Sara or Sophie or do as much as look them. Understood?" Den threatened coldly, the tension that filled the air growing heavy whereas Jake hurriedly nodded, just wanting Den to let go of his hand.

Said male dropped his hand and eyed the male who was now kneeling on the ground, not regretting his actions before he turned around to look at his team, tilting his head towards the door. "Let's go guys." He merely said, Lok and Sophie merely nodding in return whereas Sara looked at Jake who was now surrounded by his friends and opening glaring at his back.

Together, the three mad ether way out of the gym and went into the cabins, changing into their usual attire before they met up in front of the gym. They all decided that it would be best to ditch the last two hours of school after what had happened and together, they made their way back to Dante's place.

At first a thick silence engulfed them, everyone either being too mad, too shocked or too tired to say anything.

Lok was the first one to break the silence and ever so slowly, the team fell back into their usual chatter as they reached the mansion.

They all entered their current home and the all too familiar building, Den being the first one to throw his backpack into the corner of the living room as he threw himself onto the sofa, throwing an arm over his eyes while Sophie merely shook her head and neatly placed her bag next to the Armchair that she had decide to slump onto.

Lok merely sat down onto the second couch, Sara sitting down next to him as the two seekers leaned back and Lok turned the TV on, hoping to find anything that may make him forget about what had just happened.

"There's nothing worthy of getting watched in the TV kiddo. Trust me, I've already tried." Came a sudden voice from right behind the blonde, causing him to jump in his seat out of surprise. He turned his head to the right just to see Zhalia standing there, amusement sparkling in her hazel orbs as she looked at him.

Sophie was giggling at the rather startled Lok, giving Zhalia a thumbs up as they watched how Lok laid a hand over his heart, trying to even out his breathing while Sara merely chuckled at him.

"Don't scare me like that!" Lok exclaimed in a whiny tone, slumping back into his seat as he shook his head and cursed himself for not having paid enough attention to his surroundings. "I've almost peed myself!"

At that, Sara grimaced and slid over to the end of the couch whereas Sophie threw a pillow at Lok with enough force to make him wince. "Sorry." He swiftly apologized; rubbing the spot on his head that Sophie had managed to hit him at with the pillow.

Zhalia sat down on the armrest of the armchair that Sophie was sitting on, a small smile playing on her lips as she looked at the teens. "Why are you here already, doesn't school end at half past two?" She inquired, arching a perfectly shaped eyebrow at the teens.

Lok shifted in his seat as he spoke up. "Yeah." Was all that he had to offer, what was rather poor in Sophie's opinion and thus, the strawberry blonde shot him a small glare at his lack of explanation.

Zhalia smirked lightly as she crossed her arms above her chest. "Does you being here have anything to do with the call that I just have received from your PE teacher?" She inquired, instantly noticing how every one of them instantly stiffened as soon as the words have passed her lips.

She inwardly grinned, shaking her head at them. They didn't actually think that they could keep their little incident at school for themselves, did they?

Den was the first one to recover. "Yup." He merely replied, not to keen on revealing any details, what caused Zhalia to narrow her eyes at him. Usually, he would have been the first one together with Lok to explain what had happened especially if it involved them and displaying their strength.

Her curiosity was definitely perked.

"Care to explain what happened?" Zhalia questioned, even though she already knew every little detail of the incident and could put one and one together. She just wanted to hear it from them because else, where would be the fun of letting them off of the hook that easily?

"To sum it up, some guy was being a jerk and one thing lead to another and yeah, that's all." Lok curtly explained, careful not to provide Zhalia with anymore details than was necessary. Whereas he as well knew that Zhalia probably knew a lot of the incident already, he didn't want to get them into more trouble than they probably were already.

Zhalia, of course, saw right through them and merely clicked her tongue at their hesitance. She was started to get quite annoyed at their lack of cooperation. "Well if that's the case teens, then why in Casterwills name are Sara's hands bruised?"

At that, all of their eyes fell onto said females hands and even Den cracked an eye open in order to look at Sara's petite hands that were innocently resting on her lap.

Indeed, her hands were quite bruised and had purple marks on them, indicating that Jake had applied much more pressure on them that they had realized.

And she hadn't said anything about it.

"You should've broken his jaw instead." Lok told Den, who in return merely nodded, silently agreeing with Lok whereas Zhalia merely shook her head at the boys.

The teacher had called her and explained that he arrived to his class just to find Jake with a broken hand. Judging by what his friends had told their teacher; Jake had merely offered to take Sara to the nurse because she almost got shot with a football by accident. He then told Zhalia that Den had seemingly grown jealous and broke Jake's hand simply because Jake wanted to ensure that she was okay and had talked to her.

Admittedly, Zhalia instantly knew that it was no accident and that Jake must have provoked Den in any way for him to break his hand. That's why she wanted to hear their version in order to get her suspicions confirmed.

"Just tell me what happened kids because trust me, it can't be worse than what your teacher told me and as you can see, I'm not mad." Zhalia said, clearly annoyed of their little games and hesitance. They should know her well enough to know that if they actions were justified they would not get scolded or anything of that kind.

She then heard Sophie sigh next to her and knew that the Casterwill would be the first one to break the thick silence that followed Zhalia's previous words.

The raven haired female smirked. At least someone was willing to cooperate and since it was Sophie, she knew that Sophie would not hold back any details or kind of information simply because she wanted it out of her system.

"There's this guy called Jake who kept on bothering Sara and me with his friends by being, uh-" She started, not knowing the right word to describe them but fortunately, Lok came to her aid with rather perfect words.  
"Provocative jerks that tried everything in order to get the two of you?" Lok plainly offered, his tone having instantly changed into a quite angered one as he thought back to his two classmates.

Zhalia shot the blonde seeker an amused smile, clearly content with his description of the boys whereas Sophie merely exhaled deeply upon hearing Lok's rather strange description of them. Unfortunately, she couldn't deny that Lok had described them and their intentions perfectly accurate.

"Anyways, in PE they made some kind of a rather twisted plan." Sophie went on, ignoring Lok's scoff as he heard the word plan. "They wanted to shoot Sara with a football so that Jake could push her out of the way just in time but he was too slow and thus, Sara almost got hit by the ball." She calmly explained, glancing at Sara who seemed both uncomfortable and mad at the same time.

Zhalia furrowed her brows at what she heard, having already known that it was no accident. "So you got hit?" She asked Sara, her voice laced with concern as her hard eyes fell on Sara, who shook her head in return.

Lok was the next one to speak up. "I saw what was going on and wanted to warn her but Den was faster and took the hit instead." He revealed, and realization dawned upon Zhalia, who turned her head to look at Den just to see him in the same position as before, unmoving and if she didn't know better, she would have thought that he had fallen asleep.

"So he broke Jake's hand because they tried to hit Sara." Zhalia concluded, more than content at where this conversation was heading at. She then inwardly scoffed, knowing that she would win her and Dante's bet if things were to continue to go this smooth.

Lok scratched the back of his neck as he sighed. "Kind of. At first, it was just me and Sophie arguing with Jake's friend who had shot the ball but then Jake suddenly grabbed Sara and insisted on taking her to the nurse and even though Den had warned him to take his hands off of her, he merely tightened his hold on Sara's hands, hence her bruises and swelling, and he kept on insisting to take her to the nurse whereas we all knew that he would bring her anywhere but the nurse. So Den did what was right."

Zhalia smirked. "And that was to break his hand huh?" She finished off, taking in Lok's rather sheepish grin and Sara's uncertain smile.

"I went too easy on him." Den suddenly spoke up, moving his arm from his face to instead put them behind his head as he was staring at the ceiling deep in thought. "I should have probably broken his arm as well." He thought out loud, causing Sophie to shake her head at him.

"Agreed, together with these Antonio guys' ones." Lok agreed, frowning. "How dare he call Sophie muffin in front of me, her _boyfriend_? Besides, who in Casterwills name calls a girl muffin, that's so cringy!" He exclaimed incredulously, clearly bothered by the fact that someone flirted with Sophie in front of him.

Zhalia snorted. It seemed like the kids nowadays had obviously rather strange ways of displaying their interest or affection for someone; calling them muffin being one of them.

"Consider yourself lucky then." Zhalia told them, earning confused stares from her teammates in return, just as she had expected.

"I've talked to Dante regarding this matter and we both figured that since you guys miss out on school so much and seemingly got some little issues with your classmates, we better deregister you from school." The bluenette revealed, earning mixed reactions from the team.

"So we're getting home-schooled instead?" Lok asked, already growing excited at the mere thought of getting home-schooled again and preferably by LeBlanche again since he would rather take ten of his lessons a day than go to school again to see these jerks again.

Zhalia narrowed her eyes in return. "Don't misunderstand. Given the circumstances and that we are at the brink of war again, we decided that it would make no sense for you to go to school and instead voted for training you instead so that you'll be prepared. As soon as all of this is over and things get back to normal, you're going to join a school that the Foundation is in the midst of preparing. It's due to open soon but will get delayed due to our current situation." She explained, standing up from her seat as she walked in front of the TV, their eyes following her every step.

"Sounds good to me." Den admitted, especially after today's incident. Then again, he was slightly disappointed that he wouldn't get to see Jake and his friends again. He would have liked to see if he would have dared to pull some stunt like this again, what would give Den the opportunity to break some part of his body again.

"I think that I can live with that." Sophie agreed, liking the idea of a school specifically made for seekers. This way, they would both grow more powerful and gain more knowledge, what was quite acceptable in Sophie's opinion.

"It's not like you have much of a choice in this matter." Zhalia reminded them but no one seemed to object in this matter, much to her relief. She didn't need some whiny teenagers on top of their already existent problems.

"Where's Dante by the way? I haven't seen him yet." Lok suddenly noticed, directing his question towards Zhalia who in return shrugged.

"He just told me that he had to take care of something and I didn't push it any further." She replied indifferently and moved over to her protégée, who was already expectantly looking at her mentor.

"I want you to spar with Lok and Sophie under Dante's supervision to see what you still need to improve." Zhalia said, her gaze then wandering over to the others. "Same goes to you. I want you all to spar with each other today so that we can figure out what you guys still need to train, what your weakness is and where your strength lays. Dante and I will watch you fight and create an individual training schedule for each one of you in order to expedite your powers."

All four of them nodded in return, an excited smile on their faces as they heard that each one of them would receive a training schedule based on their individual weaknesses as well as strengths.

"Very well then kids. As soon as Dante returns, the fun is going to start."


	34. The End's beginning

Chapter 34: The End's beginning

A smirk tugged at the corner of Dante's lips as he regarded the four teens in front of him. They all were dressed in their training attire and were standing next to one another, clearly wanting to receive his orders.

"Zhalia already told you why we're doing this, so I don't think that I have to explain a lot." Dante firmly started, noting how all of their eyes were firmly fixed on him. It seemed as if they have finally realized just how serious the situation was and even though he was proud of them, he couldn't help but feel sad.

They've been forced to grow up in a short amount of time under rather unpleasant circumstances that may have turned them into strong seekers, but had also left a couple of scars.

If he could, he would keep them as far away from this horrible war as possible. They were strong and powerful, every one of them, but that didn't mean that they were invincible.

And that was exactly why Dante would train them as good as he could. He needed them to survive, to continue living and fulfilling their purpose on this planet that was still unknown to them, but more than clear to him.

"First ones up are going to be Den and Sophie. The rules are easy and the one that breaks them will instantly get disqualified of this match. No titans and no holding back." Dante swiftly explained, earning a nod from the small group as Den and Sophie both walked into the middle of the rather huge gym and moved to stand opposite from each other, a few meters between them.

Both of them went into their fighting position and Dante proudly watched their stance from afar. They have indeed improved from when he had first taken them under his wing, that much was obvious.

Dante crossed his arms above his chest as he watched his two students closely. "Ready?" He then asked, his voice cutting through the silence while he felt how Lok leaned against the wall to his right, his body lightly tense as he looked at his two teammates as well.

He already knew why Dante teamed them up like this and even though he wasn't concerned for their well-being since he very well knew that Sophie and Den could take care of themselves, he couldn't help but anticipate his own fight.

Sophie and Den both gave Dante a curt nod and without any further delay, Dante spoke the magic word.

"Start."

Den was the first one to move as he charged towards Sophie with the help of Shadowspeed, his right fist glowing in a bright amber hue.

Sophie had already anticipated his move and calmly remained on her spot until Den was only an inch away from her and she decided to move, quickly jumping into the air.

"Boltflare!" Sophie called, sending the Spell flying straight towards Den who swiftly side-stepped the spell in return while she gracefully landed on the floor again.

Suddenly, Den vanished in front of her very own eyes and Sophie instantly reacted, being already too familiar with his way of thinking.

"Hyperstride!" Sophie yelled as she jumped a meter forward, just barely missing Den's fist that suddenly appeared to her right. Her eyes narrowed into thin slits as she outstretched her arms and felt the familiar rush of energy run through her veins.

She had to win this.

"Double spell, Touchram!" She cried out as she allowed the spell to fly towards her teammate who swiftly dodged it, but Sophie had already reckoned with it.

"Nimblefire, Dragonfist!" Sophie cried out as she charged towards Den at full speed while he was still occupied with her former spell and Sophie couldn't help but smile out of triumph as her glowing fist harshly collided with her teammates ribs.

Den winced at the impact, having seemingly underestimated the Casterwill as he realized his mistake too late and in the next moment suddenly found himself getting roughly hurled against the wall with a loud thud.

Lok winced as he saw his teammate crash into the wall and Sara merely averted her eyes, trying to block out the sound of his body crashing against the wall.

Dante sighed out of disappointment, a part of him having hoped that Den would have seen Sophie's blow coming just as he did but he obviously didn't.

"She reacted quite fast." Zhalia praised Sophie from where she was mirroring Lok's position and leaned against the wall with her arms crossed above her chest, her eyes steadily fixed on the strawberry blonde who was already charging towards Den once more.

Dante gave her a curt nod in agreement. "Let's see if it stays this way." He mumbled, watching how Den slowly picked himself up from the ground while he used Everheal to swiftly heal himself.

The brunette could already hear Sophie's footsteps steadily approaching him but decided to remain unmoving, eyes closed and merely listening to Sophie's footsteps.

Lok narrowed his eyes. "What is he doing?" He muttered under his breath, watching how Sophie jumped in the air with her fist once more glowing as she intended to land the second punch on him but just as she wanted to do so, he reacted.

Den rolled aside and extended his arms, firmly grabbing her ankles. "Stonegrip!" He called as his grip around them tightened and a small look of comprehension flashed across Sophie's expression. Den then used all of his strength to slam Sophie's body straight into the ground, a small gasp of pain escaping Sophie as her back collided with the ground and all air had left her lungs.

Den didn't waste any more time and quickly jumped on Sophie, pinning her down beneath him while she groaned in pain, Den's move having caught her quite off guard.

"Sorry Sophie." Den swiftly apologized but didn't intend to move from his position as he firmly kept her wrist pinned above her head.

Just as Sophie was about to use a spell in order to push him off of her and knock some sense into him, Dante's voice suddenly rung through the hall.

"We've seen enough for now. Well done you two."

Sophie and Den exchanged a slightly surprised look, both having seemingly not expected their fight to get cut off this soon especially since they were just getting started but in the end, Den stood up and offered Sophie a hand, who gladly accepted it in return.

Den pulled her up and together, the two of them made their way back to the others while Sophie used Everheal to get rid of the aching pain in her back, Den doing the same.

"Wow you two certainly went all out." Lok commented at the approaching pair, Den merely shrugging whereas Sophie seemed somewhat disappointed that the fight had to end this soon.

"That's the point Lok." Zhalia commented as her hazel eyes then slid over to the youngest one of them who was standing some feet back, watching the three interact from afar. Zhalia inwardly sighed at the girls sudden hesitance, knowing that Sophie and Den's display had seemingly startled her before Zhalia gave her a curt nod. "Your turn." She announced, causing Sara to look up at her.

Lok gave Zhalia a smile before he turned his head to the right in order to look at Sara, sending her a bright grin and thumbs up as the two of them made their way to the center of the hall.

"Don't worry, you'll be fine." Lok gently assured his teammate, knowing best how it felt to be in her position as the two of them were now standing opposite of one another, both looking somewhat nervous.

Sara because she held nearly no real experience of a hand in hand combat with only using spells and Lok because he didn't want to hurt her.

"Begin." Zhalia's commando was curt and sharp and with that, Lok and Sara both charged towards one another.

"Nimblefire!" Lok called, instantly feeling the rush of adrenaline as the spell lent him the additional speed that he needed in order to reach Sara.

As soon as he did, he silently summoned a Boltflare and aimed it at her stomach, intending to make her fly backwards but she swiftly dodged it in return.

"Dragonfist!" She called, extending her fist until she released the punch with a high amount of force that Lok was sure could have easily cracked one of his ribs as he quickly used Armorbrand in order to block it.

Sara didn't let this stop her though and quickly lifted her leg in order to deliver a strong kick right into Lok's stomach, what caused him to let out a pained huff, clearly not having expected her to react this fast.

The blonde then lounged at the girl and tackled her onto the ground with the help of Hyperstride, pinning her beneath him just as Den had made with Sophie but before he was able to put any pressure into the grip that he was having on her forearms did she kneel him right in his abdomen. Lok's eyes widened slightly as he groaned out of pain but didn't move off of her. Instead, he pulled back his fist that was once again glowing in a familiar eerie hue of gold, aiming the punch at her chest but before he was able to deliver the punch did he suddenly feel her hands on his temples and the next moment, a whisper reached his ears.

"Darksleep."

His eyes widened out of recognition but before he was able to do as much as react, he found darkness flooding all of his senses and in the next moment, fell into a deep slumber.

Sara was breathing heavily as she felt Lok's body suddenly collapse over her, his now still and rather heavy form falling on her causing her to wince. She gently rolled him off of her so that he was laying on his bed right next to her as she tried to catch her breath, trying to comprehend what had just happened.

She had managed to knock him out.

"Well done Sara."

This time it was Dante who spoke up as he was suddenly standing right in front of her and offered her his hand. Clearly surprised yet grateful at the same time, Sara accepted his offer and allowed herself to get pulled upwards by her team leader.

His amber eyes were glistening in amusement as his eyes slid from hers to Lok's unconscious form. "Zhaal, would you mind?" He asked the bluenette who was already approaching them, a sigh passing her lips as she moved to kneel down next to Lok.

Lifting her right hand, she mumbled a spell under her breath as her hand suddenly was engulfed by a dark pink mist. After some seconds Lok groaned as he regained consciousness, his body stiffening as he cracked an eye open just to find Zhalia staring right back at him with a disappointed expression.

"Zhaal, what-" He started, intending to ask what had happened before it all came back in a flash just like It did in movies. His head then snapped over to the left to look at the brunette in clear astonishment.

"Wow that was great!" He suddenly exclaimed, shooting her a proud smile as Zhalia helped the blonde up again. He certainly didn't expect her to pull a move like that especially since he wasn't aware of the fact that Zhalia had already taught her the spell in the first place. Maybe, that had been his mistake.

Sara couldn't help but smile right back at Lok, appreciating her teammates praise as she sheepishly rubbed the back of her neck. "Sorry about that Lok." She swiftly apologized, feeling quite guilty for knocking him out as the four of them went back to where Sophie and Den were standing.

Sophie shot Sara a smile. "Dante is right, you did very well." Sophie admitted before her gaze turned to Lok and her eyes suddenly darkened. "That should teach you to never underestimate others Lok."

Lok shot his girlfriend a sheepish smile, shifting his weight from one foot onto the other before Dante decided to speak up.

"All of you did very well." Dante told them with warm eyes as his lips curled upwards into a smile. "Now take a shower and change. While that me and Zhalia will discuss your current skills and will meet you in half an hour in the living-room."

The teens gave him a nod and without any further hesitation, left the gym and made their way back upstairs into their respective rooms.

Dante exhaled deeply whereas Zhalia merely shook her head as they both thought along the same lines.

"They shouldn't be forced to be part of this." She muttered under her breath, her expression grim as the two of them made their way out of the gym and into the living room.

Dante nodded in agreement as he sat down onto the couch while Zhalia slumped down into the armchair and run a hand over her face.

"Let's start with Den and Sophie first." Dante kindly suggested, noticing the way Zhalia's mood seemed to have palpably worsened.

Zhalia in return nodded as her expression turned into a thoughtful one. "Both were good. Sophie acted swift and acted based on the opportunities that she received." Zhalia observed as she thought back to the battle, content with Sophie's ability to act and use her brain at once.

Dante nodded in agreement. "Agreed. Sophie's good with spells but still needs to learn how to fully step out of herself and be bolder." The auburn haired seeker eventually noted. Sophie was a heiress and was raised as one and thus, still needed to learn the dirty ways of fighting in close range with her opponent.

"Den is the exact opposite of Sophie and instead needs to focus less on strength and instead on tactics." Zhalia continued as her lips pursed into a thin line. She had always told Den to use his brain more often during a fight because whenever it did, he managed to come up with quite good plans and strategies.

Dante scratched his chin lightly, amber eyes focused on the black screen of the TV as he mentally agreed with Zhalia. "I've noticed as well. He should really use his brain more often during a fight."

Zhalia couldn't help but huff lightly out of amusement upon hearing him say it out aloud. They always seemed to be able to read one another's mind and even though she had already grown used to it, it was still amusing nonetheless.

"Lok is still too kind." Zhalia eventually sighed. The blonde tended to only use brute force if it was really necessary and didn't like to hurt others if it wasn't necessary. After all these years he had improved quite a lot but Zhalia could still easily pinpoint the moments when he seemed to think twice about punching someone straight into the jaw.

"Perhaps that will never change." Dante commented, having already thought along the same lines as he heard Zhalia hum in return. She as well knew that the blonde haired teen was a prodigy and that his kindness simply was a part of him.

Then again, this could easily get him killed in a battle if he were to hesitate at the wrong time.

"Sara learns fast but still needs to learn how to be more confident in her skills." Dante spoke up, thinking about their newest member. It was true that she was learning incredibly fast for someone who was clearly opposed to using magic in the first place and whereas she didn't hesitate to strike, she didn't put her all into her attacks.

Zhalia shifted in her seat and nodded in agreement. She knew that she would become accustomed to it after some time and some more fights but unfortunately, time was a luxury that they couldn't provide the teens with no matter how much they would like to.

"It's going to be the third time Dante." Zhalia suddenly spoke up, causing his amber eyes to lock with her concerned hazel ones. It was at rare times like this that the raven haired female allowed him to read her emotions and he instantly knew what she was referring to.

Dante exhaled deeply and firmly kept their gazes locked. "It's going to be the last." Dante assured her, determined to put an end to all of their suffering. It would be their third time fighting such a deadly threat within three years and he wouldn't allow there to be a next time.

This time, he would assure that they would not miss anything. They would destroy every piece of evil that may cause another major threat to them in the future and ensure that they wouldn't have to endure such pain and dismay again.

Whereas he knew that there would always be people that would challenge them and stir some problems, he wouldn't allow there to be another war again for as long as he lived.

Zhalia merely remained silent in return.

She just hoped that he was right because she had to admit that it was quite exhausting to live like this for a long period of time.

Dante offered her a soft smile upon seeing her frown and Zhalia couldn't help but feel her heart clench upon seeing him do so.

They would have to survive not only for the sake of the world but most importantly for the sake of each other.

The teens returned shortly after and made themselves comfortable in the living-room with Sophie and Lok sharing the other couch while Den laid down onto the love seat and Sara sat down next to Dante on the couch.

"Well team, ready for the verdict?" Dante inquired with a teasing smile as he leaned back in his seat and saw Zhalia roll her eyes at his words.

Leave it to Dante to turn everything dramatic.

Lok enthusiastically nodded whereas the remaining three merely eyed Dante expectantly. The auburn haired seeker interlaced his fingers as he put his elbows on his knees and leaned forwards.

"Well then, let's start with you Lok." Dante started off, noticing how the blonde's bright blue eyes were firmly locked with his. "You need to stop thinking twice about your actions and stop hesitating." Dante started off, instantly noticing how a guilty smile crept onto Lok's lips. Dante and Zhalia have both told him a handful of timed that he needed to stop doing so and yet, he couldn't help it.

"I know." Lok sighed, groaning afterwards as he ran a hand over his face. "I try, I really do but I sometimes simply can't help but do so." The boy admitted a small pout on his lips.

"Just try to keep it in mind." Zhalia firmly advised him as she crossed one leg over the other in order to get into a more comfortable position.

Lok in return gave both of them a curt nod and with that, Dante's eyes slid over to the Casterwill heiress. "Sophie, you need to grow bolder. Don't only rely on your spells and don't be afraid to punch someone straight into the face and break his jaw in the process."

Sophie arched a brow out of amusement upon hearing her mentor's example but nodded nonetheless, knowing well what he was trying to tell her. She as well knew that she still had to adapt to the dirty way of fighting but it was easier said than done.

"Sara," Zhalia then called, deciding that as her mentor she would easier get her to understand. The young girl looked up at Zhalia in silence, biting the inside of her cheek that didn't go unnoticed by Zhalia.

For a moment, the raven haired female felt like was staring back into the eyes of a younger version of herself.

"You just need to be more confident in your skills. You learn fast and are quite good already, you just need to be confident in what you are doing and then there shouldn't be any more problems." Zhalia advised the young girl who gave Zhalia a curt nod in return, knowing well that Zhalia was right.

Zhalia's gaze then lastly fell on Den and the bluenette sighed at the intense stare that he was giving her. This brat was quite impatient and that's exactly why Zhalia had decided to let him be the last one, and she knew that he knew.

"You've got to use your brains during a battle Den." Zhalia started off what caused Lok to snort at her words. Den threw his teammate a pointed glare that suggested him to stay silent before he returned his attention to Zhalia who was also throwing Lok a pointed glance.

"I know what you mean." Den swiftly assured her so that she wouldn't have to elaborate.

"Good." Dante suddenly spoke, once more earning their attention as all eyes fell back on him. His expression was now serious and his eyes have turned hard, amber eyes blank as he looked at his team with an expression that they have last seen six months ago before their battle against the betrayer.

"We don't know when it will be that the Blood Spiral will decide to attack, but you have to be ready." Dante firmly reminding them, instantly sensing how the air in the room grew tenser and the temperature dropped. "It could be any time now that they decide to attack, so please take our advice to heart since we only want the best for you."

Lok sighed and lowered his gaze onto the floor, a frown gracing his expression. "We know Dante, and we appreciate it." He spoke lowly, yet loud enough for the others to head before he once more lifted his gaze. His blue eyes were now filled with nothing but determination as he looked Dante straight into the eye.

The fire that brightened up the blonde boy's orbs was now firmly back in place and Dante couldn't help but feel the pride swell in his chest.

"We won't disappoint you."

He knew very well that they wouldn't.

-X-

The Huntik team had spent the rest of the day with each other, Sophie teaching Sara the basics about a titans bond with their seeker while Lok , Zhalia and Den were having a battle of chess. Dante was taking care of some papers for that he had in to the Foundation the next time he would be at the Headquarters and to say that after their little talk the atmosphere had been as comfortable as always would be an understatement.

They laughed together, spend time with one another and merely enjoyed their team's presence because they knew that they had to savor every moment since they wouldn't know when the Blood Spiral would strike.

It was ten past three in the morning when the sound of Dante's phone ringtone caused him to stir in his sleep until he was fully awake. The seeker sighed out of annoyance as he looked at the clock on his nightstand and realized what time it was before he grabbed his phone.

His eyes narrowed as the name that was displayed on the bright screen of his phone was the one of his old mentor, what caused him to narrow his eyes.

Without any more hesitation Dante eventually picked up the phone and laid an arm over his eyes.

"It's three in the morning Metz." Dante breathed, his voice still lightly rough as he felt Zhalia stiffen next to him, signalizing him that she was most likely awake by now.

He knew that Metz wouldn't call him just to have some small-talk but then again, with Metz he could never tell.

He heard the older male at the end of the line sigh in return. "Dante my boy, we got a problem." Metz started and Dante instantly frowned, clearly not liking what Metz was saying.

"What's wrong?" Dante curtly asked, now sitting upright as he run a hand through his auburn hair. He had a bad feeling about it and somehow, he already had a suspicion of what Metz was going to say next.

At first, there was silence on the other side of the line and Dante pursed his lips into a thin line in return.

"Metz?" Dante once more called, urging the German council member to finally tell him what the matter was.

After some more moments of silence Metz finally decided to speak up and Dante had to admit that he was beginning to hate his gut feeling for always being right.

"The Foundation Headquarters all around the world are under attack." Metz started and Dante froze in place, feeling his blood freeze in his veins as the words that he had dreaded to hear had reached his ears. "The war has now officially begun."

Dante glanced at the woman next to him who was by now sitting next to him, a petite hand laying on his shoulder ad concerned hazel eyes were locked with his amber one's, her expression telling him that she had most likely heard Metz's every word.

Dante's eyes softened as he felt his heart clench.

"I understand." Dante returned as he laid his free hand on Zhalia's thigh and gave it a firm squeeze. "Take care Metz, I'll get in touch with you as soon as all of this is over." The auburn haired seeker firmly told his mentor, concerned for his well-being even though he knew that he and the rest of the council members would most likely be forced to go into hiding.

"You too my boy. I wish you the best of luck, I'll see you and your team after it's over."

With that, the line went dead and Dante couldn't help but exhale deeply, the weight on his heart intensifying as he placed his phone back to its original location on the nightstand.

He then turned his upper body to turn to Zhalia so that he could gently caress her cheek, allowing himself to be selfish for one last time as he savored the feeling of her relaxing under her touch. The sight of her hazel eyes looking back at him was mesmerizing and her eyes were filled with acceptance that only confirmed his suspicions of her having overheard Metz's words.

"It's begun."

-X-

 **A/N:** Well guys it pains me to say but there will only be two more chapter of House of Cards and maybe an Epilogue. It's been a year since I have posted the first chapter and it's crazy to see how much you have supported me. I am eternally grateful to you and hope that you liked this chapter as well. If you did, please tell me in a review!

As always, I want to thank you for reviewing the past chapter and hope that you will enjoy the following two chapters that will be uploaded soon as well!

All the Love, Sara.


	35. A Spies revelation

**A/N:** Here we go. The first out of the two last chapters of HOC and I have to say that I am both sad and happy to share this with you!

As always, I am beyond grateful for all of your support and nice reviews and sincerely hope that you will like this chapter. The next one should be up soon so stay tuned!

All the love, Sara

Chapter 35- A Spies revelation

There was probably nothing more frightening than to have Zhalia gently wake him in the middle of the night with an expression on her face that caused his stomach to churn.

He was still half-asleep when his confused blue orbs locked with her hazel one's and it was the moment that her shrouded hazel eyes met his that he knew exactly what was going on.

His heart leapt in his chest.

"Zhalia." Lok softly whispered her name as he could already hear his heartbeat echoing loudly in his ears, his chest already hurting. He then felt the light weight of her hand on his shoulder as he sat up and looked at the bluenette in concern.

"It's started Lok."

It felt as if someone had just rammed a hot iron blade right through his chest and the blonde's eyes widened.

Whereas he knew that it could be any day now that the Blood Spiral could attack them, he didn't expect them to do so this fast.

"Already?" He breathed and Zhalia nodded in return, standing up from where she was seated on his bed.

Her jaw clenched as she averted her eyes from his so that he wouldn't see the spark of concern that her eyes were holding. "Unfortunately. I already woke Den and Dante's going to wake up the girls, he expects us fully dressed and with our titans in the living-room."

Lok run a hand over his face and swiftly jumped off of his bed, only then noticing that Zhalia was already dressed. "I'll be downstairs in two minutes."

Zhalia gave him a curt nod in return before she left his room so that he could change. Lok swiftly dressed into his usual white shirt and jeans before he grabbed his brown jacket and swiftly put it on. He reached for the bookshelf of his room and pulled out a certain book until the familiar clicking-sound reached his ear.

With a heavy heart, Lok pulled out his amulets and firmly held them in his hands, feeling his concern slightly disappear for the split of a moment as he felt the bond that he and his titans shared.

They would win this war and make it out alive, all of them.

With newfound confidence, the blonde haired seeker swiftly put his titans into his belt-bag and darted out of the room and down the stairs before he reached the living-room.

As soon as he entered it however, he was greeted by the sight of his team, the people that have become a family to him.

Sophie was standing next to Dante, the dark rings under her eyes signalizing him that the lack of sleep that she received during the past two days was not helping the matter at all.

Den was seated on the armrest of the armchair that Sara was sitting on, Den's expression uncharacteristically blank whereas Sara looked beyond concerned.

Zhalia was leaning against the wall and lifted her gaze as she heard Lok approaching, just as the others did.

Lok offered his team a sad smile and couldn't help but feel his heart clench upon the sight of them. It were moments like these that were the most memorable where he realized just how lucky he was to have them.

The blonde then moved to stand next to Sophie and gently took her hand, giving it a small assuring squeeze which Sophie instantly returned.

"Well team, I really wish that I wouldn't have to say it again after what had happened the last time, but we once more are at war with the Blood Spiral." Dante started off, his expression stern as he was dressed in his usual yellow coat, amber eyes firmly fixed on the members of his team.

The silence that followed his words was heavy and it was then that the weight of the situation that they were in slowly settled onto each one of them.

"The Foundation Headquarters all around the world got attacked at once around ten minutes ago." Dante continued a frown etching onto his face as he pursed his lips into a thin line. "Their main target is the one in Venice. Their leader already expects us there and intents to eliminate us since we are the last brick that is blocking their path to being able to gain full control over the world and as all of you know, with us out of the way chances are high that they will succeed."

It was no news to the team that the Blood Spiral would most likely be after the Huntik team since they have defeated the professor and the Betrayer once before already, but Den couldn't help but frown at hearing this piece of information.

"How are you so sure that their leader will be the one who'll come after us?" He inquired as he impatiently tapped his feet impatiently on the ground.

While they were here having their little meeting the HQ's were getting attacked and whereas he knew that they needed to be well informed and prepared before they would charge into the battle, it was still unnerving to know that their enemy would be waiting for them.

Fortunately, the area around the Foundation HQ's was only inhabited by seekers so that non-seekers wouldn't get involved just yet.

"A friend of mine managed to infiltrate the Blood Spiral. He's already at the HQ in Venice as well and waits for us to arrive since he managed to get quite some information during his stay there. He may have the information that'll be vital to us winning this war for the last and final time." Dante revealed and Den had to admit that he wasn't shocked at the news of a spy having infiltrated the Spiral, just as the others weren't.

"How do we proceed then?" Sophie inquired, eyes narrowed as she looked at Dante with a thoughtful expression.

Dante, of course, had already had a plan in mind. "We'll form two teams. Whereas Zhalia, Den and Sara will take care of the one's in the HQ and meet up with my informant, Lok, Sophie and I will take care of their leader."

Silence followed his words as the team processed his words. The pairings were understandable and with Zhalia leading the first team so that they would be able to defend the HQ, Dante, Sophie and Lok would take care of their leader. This way, both teams were on the same wave-length of power and would be able to smoothly take care of their opponents.

Or so they hoped.

"Alright, so it's settled then." Lok muttered under his breath as Sara and Zhalia stood up with heavy hearts to face the final war of the Huntik Team.

Fortunately, the HQ was only a short walk away and with the help of Nimblefire they would be able to reach it within minutes.

Dante took his time to look at each member of his team and shot them a sad smile. "I want you to know that I'm proud of you team, no matter what the outcome of this war will be." He confessed and felt his heart break a little as he saw how a tear escaped Sophie's eyes and rolled down her cheek.

"We'll win this war." She spoke; confidence lacing her words as she held her head high despite of the pain in her chest and concern that was brightly shining in her eyes. "We'll win this war and make it out alive, every one of us."

Dante gave her a nod in return, having clearly understood her hidden message as he extended his hands into the middle of their small circle, a smirk now tugging at the corner of his lips as his amber eyes shone with confidence. "Let's show them how to win a war team, shall we?"

Zhalia mirrored her smirk and laid his hand over his, Lok and the others following their example. Lok shot them a weak grin as he put his hands on top of Sara's as the last member of the team.

"I truly love you guys."

Den brotherly patted Lok with his free hand on the back, a sad smile on his lips as he looked at the unusual quite brunette female to his right.

He lightly nudged her with his shoulder what caused her to look up at him with surprised blue eyes. Den shot her an assuring smile, knowing exactly how she was feeling since he was standing in her place mere months ago as well.

Sara couldn't help but return his smile and feel some sense of relief overcome her, knowing that as long as she was with her newfound team they would manage to overcome any kind of obstacle.

She would show them just how much she had improved.

"Alright team, let's go and save the world."

"Again." Lok grimly added and with that, the Huntik team made their way into their last battle.

X

They were jumping over the rooftops at full speed with the aid of both Hyperstride and Nimblefire. Within five minutes they managed to reach the Headquarters and together and the closer they got, the louder the sounds of the already ongoing battle got.

There was shouting, screaming and the sounds of titans roaring to life and for a moment Den wondered just how lucky they were that the civilian part of Venice was almost hours away from there.

"Are Lucas and his team going to be there?" Sophie suddenly inquired as she put all of her strength into jumping onto the last rooftop, Dante swiftly landing next to her as the others did the same.

"Most likely." Dante nodded in return, now looking at his team who was all gathered on the rooftop with a stern expression. "That's where we'll part ways. Zhalia, the spy will be waiting for you in front of the library. He'll most likely approach you and with that blow up his cover so make sure to keep an eye on him as well."

Zhalia gave him a curt nod, knowing very well that the Spirals wouldn't hesitate to kill him the moment he would reveal his identity. Dante had already told her of his identity and she had to admit that she had already heard of him once even before he had mentioned him but she didn't give it any other thought.

"Take care kids." The female told Lok and Sophie with a serious expression and yet, her eyes were radiating warmth that displayed just how much she cared for them. "Don't get your butts kicked, got it?"

Sophie and Lok couldn't help but grin at her and without any hesitation the two teens lunged forwards and engulfed her in a bone-crashing hug.

Startled, the bluenette needed a moment to regain her calm before she affectionately patted their backs in return.

"Don't worry, we'll make sure he doesn't do anything stupid." Sophie whispered just loud enough for Zhalia to hear as she released her teammate from the hug, Lok reluctantly doing so as well a few moments later.

Zhalia shot Sophie a grateful glance before she once more patted the two on their shoulders with a proud smile. Who would have thought that one day, these kids would be the saviors of the world?

Well she sure as hell didn't.

She then watched how Sophie and Lok proceeded to bid their farewell to their other two teammates what only left one person that Zhalia had to say goodbye to.

Dante's gaze softened as he took soft steps forwards and gently took her slender wrist into his hand before he pulled her against him in one swift motion as he had done all these times before.

A small breath of content passed Zhalia's lips as she tightened her hold on his coat and allowed herself to succumb into the feeling of home as she inhaled his familiar scent.

"I hate this part." Zhalia mumbled into his chest as she felt Dante's strong arms tighten around her, holding her as if he was afraid that she would shatter if he were to let go.

"I know." Dante whispered into her ear before he slowly pulled away so that they were facing each other with his arms still around her. His warm amber eyes caught her saddened hazel ones before he slowly lifted his hand to gently caress her cheek. "I promise that we'll meet again, so take care and don't get any stupid ideas Zhaal."

Zhalia couldn't help but lift a perfectly shaped brow at him. "I wouldn't be worried about me being the one with the stupid ideas Vale."

Dante chuckled despite of the situation before he pulled her closer against him. "You're famous for being unpredictable." He gently reminded her before Zhalia mildly felt how he removed one arm from her but didn't pay it any mind.

Dante suddenly grinned before Zhalia felt his hand gently take hers and it was then that she felt how he slipped something on her ring finger, the cool material causing Zhalia to narrow her eyes out of confusion at him.

She moved to lift her hand to look at her hand, her heartbeat now increasing as the suspicion of what exactly he had slipped on her ring finger causing her heart to race but Dante merely grabbed her hand in his, his eyes burning with both affection and mild amusement.

"Then again, so am I. "He smugly admitted before he leaned forwards until his lips were brushing against the shell of her ear, his hot breath gracing it what caused a shiver to run down her spine as she held her breath. "Consider it an insurance that both of us get out of the battle alive since _you_ need to give me an answer and _I_ need to know it."

Zhalia's eyes widened out of realization as she felt him swiftly peck her cheek before he gently let go of her and without another word moved to stand next to Lok and Sophie who have just bid their farewell and were quite oblivious to what had just happened.

"Let's go kids." Dante commanded, his tone grave as Lok and Sophie moved to stand next to him in a flash. "We are running out of time."

Lok and Sophie both nodded in return before the team exchanged one last glance with one another, silence falling over them. A moment passed and just then Dante decided to take the lead and swiftly jumped down from the rooftop and with that, right into the battlefield with Sophie and Lok following close behind.

Zhalia remained rooted on the spot and dared to lift her hand so that its back was at the height of her face, her gaze instantly falling on the item that innocently rested on her ring finger.

She felt her heart clench as she eyed the silver ring with surprised hazel eyes, the dark-blue diamond that was shining dangerously in the dim lightning of the night making it the more mysterious and beautiful.

Dante Vale had just proposed to her.

Zhalia couldn't help but be amused at his timing and smiled fondly at the ring as she slowly lowered her hand, her gaze never leaving it.

That sly bastard would certainly receive a piece of her mind for choosing such a moment to propose to her, that she would make sure of.

"No way in hell!"

Zhalia's head turned to her right as she suddenly felt her hand getting grabbed by none others than Den's, the young boy eyeing the item with wide eyes.

"He proposed?" He exclaimed in awe, his jaw practically hitting the floor as the realization hit him. They were just about to head into battle and Dante decided to propose to her just like they did in movies.

Den had to give him plus points for not making the proposal too cliché and instead epically romantic and creative. Besides, Dante Vale certainly knew how to spend his money because this ring looked as if it was worth a _fortune_.

"Shoot, so Sophie wins our bet!" Den suddenly groaned as he was clearly disappointed that he had lost to Sophie who would certainly brag about it as soon as they would reunite.

"It's beautiful." Sara commented from her left, an approving smile on her lips as Den nodded in agreement to her words.

Zhalia decided not to comment on Den's words as she yanked her hand out of Den's grip and straightened her posture, her gaze fixed onto the battle that took place mere meters below her. "Let's just save the world and make sure that I get to kick his ass later on."

Den grinned in return and cracked his knuckles, excitement filling his eyes whereas Sara merely clenched her fists, trying to mentally ready herself as much as one could.

"I take dips on being the one who walks you to the altar though."

Zhalia merely slapped the back of Den's head upon hearing his comment before she jumped down of the roof with the help of Hyperstride, leading the way for her team that swiftly followed behind her like the shadows of the night.

The three of them were running towards the building at full speed with Zhalia taking the lead. Occasionally, the three of them had to force their way though some Spirals who thought that it was wise to attack them or well, at least try to.

The battle-field was a mess.

Titans, Foundation Seekers and Spiral members were all scattered on the field and were battling each other, the remains of the homes that surrounded the HQ portraying nothing but a nuisance to the seekers as they fought for their lives.

Some of their allies as well as opponents have already fallen; some were injured and kept on fighting with all their might whereas others were fighting for their last breath.

The ground that they were walking on was covered in blood, some of it dry and some of it fresh as they charged towards the entrance of the HQ that was missing doors, the glass scattered in pieces on the ground.

"Sara, left!" Zhalia shouted as she grabbed the collar of a Spiral that was just about to land one last hit on the already beaten Seeker that was unconsciously lying on the ground. She roughly pulled him back and forcefully kicked his shin so that he would lose his balance and with newfound powers, Zhalia roughly slammed him into the ground with a force that would have made Behemot jealous.

Sara instantly took the hint and dodged to the right, just barely managing to avoid getting hit by one of the Spirals with a Nullcurse.

She slowly began to realize just how crazy these so called Spirals actually were. They didn't hesitate to go in for the kill and didn't bother help their fallen comrades in their last moments of need.

"Touchram!" She called, the rush of energy flowing through her veins that she had grown all too familiar with left the tips of her fingers and sharply cut through the air as she gently landed on the ground a few meters away from him.

She instantly swirled around, not bothering to wait and see if her spell had actually hit him or not for the cry of pain was confirmation enough for her. Dodging the next fist that was flying at her, seemingly aiming for her jaw, she allowed her body to roughly hit the floor.

The brunette gritted her teeth at the mild pain of the collision before she rolled to her left, just barely avoiding the kick as she jumped back on her feet at the speed of lightning.

Her breathing was heavy, her throat already dry from summoning all the spells while blood trickled down her cheek due to a bruise that she had received moments prior to her current struggle.

It was exhausting.

"Stop playing around klutz, we gotta go!" Den suddenly called from somewhere in front of her as she suddenly felt herself getting pulled against something solid.

With a small yelp of surprise she suddenly felt herself on Den's back, her legs hooked around his waist as he jumped into the air with the help of Hyperstride. She instantly held onto his shoulders for dear life, clearly startled at his idea of suddenly piggybacking her over the battlefield since she certainly was able to walk very well on her own.

"What the hell are you doing?" She yelled over the wind that was soaring past them, watching how Den pointedly avoided the spells that flew towards them as they were once more heading towards the entrance that still seamed rather far away from where they currently were.

Den's feet hit the ground before he continued to run with the help of Nimblefire until he was sure that he had gained enough speed so that he once more used Hyperstride to jump over a mass of Spirals that were trying to get a hold of them.

"I'm making sure that you'll keep up with us!" Den called back as he tightened his hold on her thighs to firmly keep her in place on his back. "And don't you dare giving me the 'But I'm too heavy' excuse!"

Sara blinked, certainly not having expected that before she dug the heel of her right foot into his ribs. "Do I look like I would care if I crush you to death with my weight you idiot?" She yelled in return as she noticed a flash of blue out of the corner of her eyes, indicating that Zhalia was keeping up with them.

All of sudden, a bright light filled Sara's vision and without hesitating she lifted her hands into the air and reacted just like Zhalia had taught her some time ago in one of her first sessions. "Armorbrand!"

The shield instantly formed a barrier around the two of them as the Spell was just about to hit them, it now crashing against the barrier until it faded into nothingness. A relieved sigh passed Sara's lips as she once more held Den's shoulders in order to steady herself. It was only the beginning and there were hands all around them that were itching to get a hold of the two members of the infamous Huntik team and whereas Den was making a great job in avoiding them this far, he couldn't possibly avoid them all.

Deciding to take matters into her own hand, Sara narrowed her eyes and confidently lifted her hands once more.

She would most certainly _not_ let herself getting piggybacked while doing practically nothing. Sara was a part of the team and would act as the Seeker she was.

"Boltlfare!" She yelled as she shot it towards the one who was charging towards them from the left, the spell hitting him straight in the stomach as the force caused him to fly backwards and straight into two of his comrade's chest, the three toppling onto the ground right after.

They were gradually getting closer to the entrance and just as they were meters away from the door, Zhalia's voice filled their ears. "We're almost there so stay close!" Her command drowned under the sounds of the battle but the two of them made it out just in time to act.

"On three!" Den yelled as he charged towards the entrance at full speed with the aid of Nimblefire, Sara's grip on his shoulders tightening as she instantly understood his message.

"Got it!" She called as they jumped over a Freelancer, the titan not bothering to even acknowledge them as he battled one of the Blood Spirals titans that Den hadn't seen before. The only sign that it was one of theirs were the menacingly glowing blood-red eyes that pierced through the darkness of the night that covered the battle

"One," Den started to count as he felt how Sara dug her nails into his shoulders, his grip on her tightening in return as he felt his heartbeat considerably sped up out of excitement of the battle.

"Two," Sara followed; her voice lower than his and laced with uncertainty that didn't go unnoticed by him, but it was their only way to get their backs covered while the three of them would go into the Foundation HQ.

It was risky but they had no other choice and they all knew. Sara felt her chest tighten as she inhaled deeply, knowing that she had to be as confident as she could in order for it to work.

"Three!"

And with Den's final yell, Sara pushed herself off of his bag as she felt his grip loosening on her as they darted through the door and with that entered the Foundation HQ.

She gracefully landed on her feet and took a moment to regain her balance until she swirled around the moment Zhalia came charging towards her with a bunch of Spirals trailing after her.

Sara lifted her right hand into the air and allowed all of her energy to flow right into the ring on her finger as she closed her eyes in order to concentrate and block out everything else.

It had to work.

Her eyes suddenly snapped open as her icy blue eyes were shining a blinding blue, her ring glowing in the same hue that engulfed her entire body.

"Come to my aid, Aquarius!" She yelled the command as confident as she could, the authority in her voice clearly audible as she suddenly felt her entire energy getting formally pulled out of her body.

Aquarius materialized itself in front of her, the woman's body that consisted out of nothing but water being covered by a long, light blue colored dress whereas her stunning raven locks reached her ankles. Her eyes were glowing in the same shade as Sara's and for a moment, it seemed as if her very gaze bore into her soul.

Sara managed to keep herself standing, only slightly swaying as she tried to shake off the feeling of emptiness and the wave of dizziness that overcame her.

"Aquarius, I need to you to take out as many Spirals as possible on this flooe without hurting our allies." Sara commanded, her voice not wavering even though her hands were shaking.

The titan regarded her for a moment, a chilly wind gracing her skin as the anticipation of whether her titans would obey her or not was taking the best out of her.

After the last time that Sara had summoned her Sara only managed to summon her once more after that when Zhalia and she were practicing how she would maintain her grip on Aquarius.

Fortunately, Aquarius gave her a nod before she turned around and headed straight into the battle that took place on the entrance of the HQ.

Sara felt herself smile out of relief as she clutched her chest, trying to calm her breathing. Summoning Aquarius had taken a lot of energy out of her and to keep a grip on her through the bond that they shared wouldn't be easy as well, but she had to try to keep her under control for as long as she could.

The girl suddenly felt a grip on her upper arm and her head snapped up to see Zhalia looking down at her with concerned, yet proud hazel eyes.

"You did great." She praised her student as she gently steadied her, Sara giving her a tired yet pride-filled grin in return.

"Aquarius will take care of this floor, but I don't know for how long so we should hurry upstairs." Sara informed her mentor as the two of them swiftly, yet carefully made their way to the stairs where Den was already waiting for them.

Sara's arm was slung around Zhalia's shoulder while the older female kept her grip on her waist firm, knowing best that summoning Aquarius took a lot of power especially since it was such a strong and stubborn titan. On top of that, Sara was still somewhat of a beginner and needed to grow a certain kind of stamina- the seeker kind.

"Are you alright?" Den asked as his eyes scanned both of his female teammates for any signs of bruises or other kind of wounds. Fortunately, it didn't seem like they were injured and judging by the way Zhalia had to steady the young girl he assumed that their plan worked.

Zhalia gave him a curt nod in return as they made their way up the stairs while Sara kept on assuring Zhalia that she was fine and could walk on her own.

Eventually, Zhalia let go of her but still kept a close eye on her just as Den did while they jogged up the stairs due to the elevator being broken as expected.

The sounds of the ongoing battle on the second floor were echoing through the hallway and after some more moments, the three of them finally managed to reach their destination at last.

The floor was a mess, just as the first one had been. Bodies were laying on the ground, some moving whereas some were obviously not part of this world anymore.

"Serve your Lady, Kilthane!" Zhalia called as soon as they took their first steps on the floor, the titan that was clad in his usual dark-armor instantly appearing by her side the instant that she had spoken his name.

Sara looked at it in awe, clearly amazed at the sight before her eyes fell back onto the battle that was still going on in front of them.

"Kilthane," Zhalia's voice held every piece of authority as she called the familiar name. "Get rid of them."

The titan gave her a nod before he charged in battle while Zhalia's eyes scanned the floor for something or rather, _someone_.

There were a lot of Spirals and the Foundation Seekers were clearly outnumbered, but that didn't mean that they were putting up a good fight nonetheless.

"How the hell are we supposed to find him?" Den asked, a frown on his face as easily dodged a Nullcurse that came flying at him. He swiftly whirled around and punched the Spiral that creeped towards them square in the face with the help of Dragonfist, the shattering sound that followed his punch reaching his ears as soon as his fist collided with his jaw.

Now that the remaining Spirals have also noticed their presence, they had to be quick and act and of course, Zhalia was the first one to come up with a way.

Her palm glowed a mysterious green hue for the split of a moment before it faded and all of sudden; her familiar companion was seated on her shoulder.

"Gareon, go and help Kilthane." She ordered and without wasting any more time, the titan suddenly turned invisible and went to fulfill its master's order.

"He'll find us and until it happens, try to clear this floor." Zhalia suddenly ordered them, causing Den to frown out of confusion but he knew better than to ask any more questions and thus, the two teens did as told and charged right into the battle.

"Freelancer!" Den called as he run towards one Spiral and kicked him right in the stomach while the titan that he had once received from Lok materialized itself behind him.

Freelancer instantly covered Den's back and together, the duo did their best to do as Zhalia had told them to.

"Shadowspeed!" Zhalia was the next one to jump into the battle and kneeled her target right into the stomach, causing him to double over in pain before she kicked him onto the floor, not showing any mercy as he yelled out in pain.

They didn't deserve any better and even though Zhalia had grown quite soft after all these years, she would never pity someone who willingly attacked innocent people.

Sara was the last one to enter and used Dragonfist to punch one of the Blood Spiral members back as she noticed how he was just about to use Venomhand on a Foundation seeker.

A pained yell escaped him but Sara paid it no mind and swiftly kneeled down next to the young girl that was lying on the bloody floor, her hand glowing in a familiar light as she proceeded to heal her bleeding injury on her chest.

The girl didn't seem to be much older than she was, her jet black hair a mess and her shirt was soaked in blood and whereas she was already unconscious, she was still breathing and that was reason enough for Sara to try save her.

Moments passed with her simply sitting there, healing the unconscious girl before she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her head that caused her to stop before she could help it.

Sara winced and felt a tug at her powers, signalizing that Aquarius was seemingly in trouble. Sara's head snapped upwards just in time to see Kilthane receiving a blow as well, causing the warrior titan to return to his amulet.

The brunette's gaze fell back onto the unconscious girl, shooting her a small apologetic glance before she jumped back on her feet, knowing that the girl would survive and should wake up any time soon.

Her eyes scanned her surroundings and she suddenly noticed how Freelancer was having some troubled with a Spiral and without another thought, Sara run straight towards them.

She channeled all of her powers into her fists, preparing the familiar spell that she had grown quite fond of before she pulled back her fist, ready to strike.

That was until a pair of familiar green eyes that she would recognize everywhere met hers and she felt herself freeze, her movement stilling as her hand was still glowing in an amber color.

Her eyes widened and she could have sworn that her heart had stopped. The brown hair that peeked out from under his hood, his warm green eyes that have always managed to calm her whenever she had spent the night crying because of the loss of her family and lastly, it all was more than obvious.

"Uncle Will?" Sara inquired in a disbelieving whisper as she allowed the spell to fade and stood there as if she was rooted on the spot.

William jumped a few meters back, out of Freelancers reach so that he was standing opposite of Sara, only meters separating them.

"Princess."

That was all that Sara needed to hear in order for the tears to fall and without any hesitation, she darted forwards and crashed right into him, throwing her arms around his neck as she buried her nose into his neck.

"You damn moron!" She whispered loud enough so that he could hear, her grip on him tightening as she felt him return the hug without any hesitance, his hold on her tight.

The feeling of his familiar lean arms around her reminded her of all the times when she would excitedly welcome him back home whenever he returned from his business trips. She had missed him more than words could explain and whereas she was mad at him for leaving her for such a long time, she couldn't help but allow the relief that flooded her to take over.

The sounds of the battle slowly died down, signalizing Sara that they have managed to defeat the members of the Blood Spirals on the floor but at the moment, she didn't care.

All that mattered was that she was reunited with her Uncle, the person who dried her tears whenever she had nightmares and the person she considered a second father.

Her only remaining relative.

"I'm sorry kiddo, I didn't plan on staying away this long." He apologized, affectionately patting her head as he had done many times before when she was still a girl.

He heard her snort in return before she pulled back to look at his face, the rather annoying mask shielding most part of his face. Without a second thought, she grabbed it and roughly pulled it away from his face, allowing it to hit the floor with a loud thud.

Staring back at her was the familiar face of her loving Uncle, his green orbs filled with regret and guilt while an uncertain smile was playing on his lips.

"Do you know how worried I was you idiot!" Sara suddenly called as she hardly slapped the back of his head, watching how he winced at the force that she used.

"Damn brat, you act more and more like your mom you know that?" William muttered under his breath, receiving a second slap in an instant.

Sara growled lowly. "You have been a seeker your entire life, left me behind without explaining anything and now I find out that you've been a spy for the Foundation! As soon as this is over you got a lot of explaining to do and if you dare to even think about leaving I am going to freaking hunt you down!" Landing one last punch on his shoulder, she stepped back just in time to see him shoot her one of his all too familiar trademark grins in return.

Oh how he had missed his little girl.

"Don't worry, I don't plan on leaving anytime soon." He assured her as he rubbed his sore shoulder before he turned his gaze to her left where Zhalia was now standing, an amused smile on her lips.

She watched the scene from where she was standing next to Den, who was beyond confused at the sight. As soon as he had knocked out the last Spiral he turned around and scanned the hallway just in time to see Sara literally jump into a Spiral's arms, his heart jumping out of both concern and surprise.

Whereas he had known that she was crazy, he never believed her to be _this_ crazy. His eyes narrowed at the sight as he realized that it must be the spy, but that still didn't explain why his teammate literally flung herself at him or just how the hell they knew each other.

He was quite annoyed at the sight of her in his arms, if he were to be honest, but he decided to let Zhalia do the talking since she was the team leader of their team.

William's green eyes then fell on said female as his grin widened. "So you're Zhalia Moon." He drawled, nodding to himself as he extended a hand towards Zhalia. "It's an honor to finally meet you in person. Dante had mentioned you quite a lot of times back then."

Zhalia who had watched the exchange between Dante's friend and her student closely kept the polite smile on her lips as she took his hand and firmly shook it, her unwavering gaze fixed on him. "Likewise William."

William merely inclined his head lightly in return, his grin turning into a grateful smile as he laid a hand on his niece's shoulder.

"I am more than grateful to you and the rest of the team for taking care of her, Zhalia." William spoke, sincerely grateful to the woman in front of him.

Den in return merely lifted both of his brows in surprise, a certain word having caught his attention.

 _Niece?_

"It's the least we can do." Zhalia returned, her gaze shifting to Sara who gave her mentor a small smile in return as soon as their eyes met. "She's a great seeker."

William merely squeezed Sara's shoulder in return, the pride that he felt upon hearing Zhalia's words displaying in his eyes before he sighed heavily as his smile faded, an expression of sadness etching onto his face.

"Unfortunately, I can't say that for all members of my family." Will suddenly spoke up, his heart heavy as he looked at Zhalia with both guilt and sadness filled eyes. "I didn't get to tell Dante yet and hoped to tell him in person, but since you seemingly split up I'll have to tell you instead. It's about the Blood Spirals leader."

Zhalia narrowed her eyes as she lightly tilted her head aside, not liking where this was going. She was having a really bad feeling about this and somehow, she knew that it would get confirmed soon.

"You have identified her?" Zhalia inquired, her lips pursed into a thin line as William gave her a nod, his grim expression only fueling Zhalia's dark anticipation of what kind of answer she would receive.

"Unfortunately, I did." He admitted, shifting his weight onto his other food as he inhaled deeply. "She's very strong and aims to eliminate your team so that she can finally fully gain access to the full power the Spiral Mark provides."

Den frowned, humming lightly under his breath. "I get that we are in her way and the Foundations strongest team, but why does she have to kill us in order to get the full power?"

William's green eyes shifted over to Den's form, his intense gaze boring into his. "With the death of Sophie Casterwill and the Champion of the Casterwills, the full powers of the Spiral Mark will get released. Think of your friends like a safety lock for the Spiral Mark, as soon as they're dead nothing can stop her to get the power she needs in order to kill the prodigy named Dante Vale and the rest of his infamous team. With the team dead, it'll only be a matter of minutes until the Foundation will fall and she gets the powers to rule the world."

William felt Sara tense under his grip and Zhalia visibly stilled, her eyes sharply narrowing into thin slits whereas Den's eyes widened.

"What?" He breathed, concern flooding his senses as he thought of his teammates. "Is there any way that we can stop her?"

William remained unmoving for a moment, weighting their options before he sighed. "I don't know. It's possible since she's someone that Sara and I know very well. Maybe we get to find out her agenda so that your team will be able to defeat her once and for all or maybe even get to safe her, though I doubt the latter is likely to happen considering how the powers of the Spiral Mark have already consumed her heart."

Zhalia and Den's gaze both fell on Sara who in return moved to step away from William and turn around so that she could face him, an unsettling sensation causing her stomach to churn.

"Uncle, who is the Blood Spirals leader?" Sara asked both concerned and confused at his words and judging by the way William's eyes turned shade's darker upon hearing her question, she suspected that it was someone the two of them have once been close to.

However, nothing in the world could have possibly prepared her for the words she heard next.

"Your sister."


	36. A teams loss

Chapter 36-A team's loss

Dante was running at full speed, Sophie and Lok to his left while Caliban was jogging next to him with his sword already drawn.

Sabriel and Baselaird have also already been summoned by Sophie and Lok, their Power-bonded titans being their best option in this war.

There were screams, crying and shouting all at once and he could practically sense his two pupils tense as they were running next to him.

The trio entered the battlefield without any complications but as soon as they did, the Spirals recognized them in an instant. It was as if all eyes were suddenly on them and whereas there were looks of relief from their allies, there were also Blood-thirsty stares from the Spiral members that were craving their blood, praying that they would be able to be the one who would be able to take out Dante Vale and his team.

"Don't leave my side you two. Our target is most likely waiting until we're exhausted from fighting the Spirals so avoid using your powers and focus on hand in hand combat. Understood?" Dante commanded, his amber eyes attentively scanning the clearing for anything unusual that may indicate where their leader currently was at.

"Understood." Sophie replied as she turned to look at Sabriel, giving her orders through the bond that the two of them shared. Sabriel gave Sophie a curt nod a few moments later before she darted into the battle with Baselaird silently following right after.

And with that, it began.

Dante followed the two titans, Lok to his right while Sophie was to his left. He darted towards his first target, grabbing him by the back of his shirt and roughly pulled him backwards, leaving him no time to react as he whirled him around and punched him right into the stomach.

Dante then released his grip on her, the pained yell that escaped the Spiral causing him to dodge the fist that suddenly came flying towards the amber eyed seeker before he lifted his leg into the air and harshly rammed it onto the Spirals spine, knocking him onto the ground face-first.

Not wasting any more time, Dante charged towards the next one and jumped into the air before he kicked the next one on the head, the Spiral not having managed to avoid his kick despite of having seen it coming.

With a yell, Sophie jumped off of the ground and gracefully planted her palms on the rough ground beneath her, supporting her weight on it before she twirled her legs so that she hit two Spirals at once with full force.

As soon as she was back in a normal position she swiftly pushed her body backwards until her back hit Lok's, who was currently battling three Spirals at once.

The blonde seeker kicked one of them into the ribs, feeling them crack under his foot before he grabbed another one by the collar and hurled him over his shoulder, the Spiral falling on top of his now unconscious companion.

As soon as Lok felt Sophie's petite back brush against his, he linked his arms with her and bent slightly forwards, pulling Sophie with him as the young Casterwill heiress instantly used this chance to kick two more Spirals right into their face.

They staggered back with a pained yell and Sophie smirked out of satisfaction. "Serves you well!" She called as Lok set her back onto the ground. "You should know better than to attack a Casterwill."

Glaring at them, Sophie's emerald eyes then scanned her surroundings to see that Dante was busy taking care of seven Spirals at once, not once using a spell while Lok was charging at a small group himself, his sword drawn as he as well focused on not relying on his powers too much.

"Our little Casterwill heiress is being as proud as always."

Sophie froze in place as the all too familiar voice reached her ears, a voice that haunted her for the better part for her life and in her worst nightmares.

She whirled around in the split of a second and came face to face with the person that had been tormenting a huge part of her life.

"Kiel." She whispered, her voice laced with venom as her emerald eyes met his crimson ones. She watched how a grin formed on his lips and his eyes brightened as he uttered his name, his fists clenched out of excitement.

"Let's get rid of you once and for all, Casterwill." He spoke, furrowing his brows as he moved his head from the left to the right, a cracking sound filling the air as Sophie took a step back.

She knew that she would have to face him sooner or later but if she were to fight him, she would most certainly use her powers to the fullest extent. Kiel was a strong opponent and if she were to manage to defeat him on her own, she would be too exhausted to be much of a help to Lok and Dante.

Before she was able to react however, Kiel suddenly flew right towards her and Sophie swiftly jumped out of the way with the help of Hyperstride as she watched how Kiel landed on his knees a couple of meters away from her.

Standing where Kiel was formally stood was Dante, his eyes narrowed as he glared at Kiel. "Funny, I just wanted to say the same to you Kiel." He informed the Blood Spiral member who was now standing again, snarling at the auburn haired seeker.

Sophie exhaled a sigh of relief as she landed behind Kiel, her emerald eyes fixed on Dante to wait for any sign of him that may tell her what she was supposed to do.

"Stay out of this Vale or you'll end up following the Casterwill brat." Kiel threatened, his clenched fists now glowing black as he took a step closer to Dante.

Dante in return remained eerily calm and unmoving; eyeing Kiel's every step carefully. "I'm sorry to disappoint you, but there's not going to be anyone to follow to death by your hand in the first place." The auburn haired seeker watched how Kiel bared his teeth and with that, whirled around to face Sophie and charge right at her.

Just as Dante had expected.

"Lok now!" Dante yelled as he darted right after Kiel just to ensure Sophie's safety while the Casterwill heiress was too confused to move upon hearing Dante's order and then, everything happened as if it was in slow motion in front of her very own eyes.

Lok suddenly appeared next to Kiel out of seemingly nowhere, his expression grave while his sword was glowing in a bright blue hue. The Casterwill Champion jumped in front of Sophie and without any hesitation, dug his sword deeply into Kiel's Spiral Mark before he was able to do as much as dodge it.

A pained yell escaped Kiel as the sword was shaking, as if it was electrified while Lok tried his best to keep a steady hold on it, his eyes burning with determination to put an end to Sophie's pain.

Kiel's crimson eye's fell on Lok as he was unable to move, blood trickling down the corner of his lips as the glow in his hatred filled eyes faded.

"Even if you managed to kill me," Kiel rasped out as he grabbed Lok by the throat, his grip light enough so that he was still able to inhale air. "You and the Casterwill girl will die by her hands today."

Lok's eyes narrowed as a small wave of panic overcame her. He knew that every enemy of theirs had tried to kill them and didn't keep it a secret as well but there was something about the intensity of his gaze that caused Lok to wonder just who they would be facing.

"I don't think so." Lok returned in a rough whisper, removing his sword from Kiel's chest as he watched how his body instantly fell onto the ground the moment Lok withdrew the sword.

It was as if the moment Lok's sword had pierced the Spiral Mark, he had unplugged the charger that was responsible for keeping Kiel alive.

It's been Dante's theory that they had just tested and to say that Dante was relieved that it had worked would be an understatement.

He hadn't thought that they would've been able to take Kiel down this fast but in the end, not every battle was meant to be a great one no matter how strong the opponent may be. It always depended on how quick one was to come up with an idea.

All Sophie could do was watch how the man that had continuously tormented her life was now the very same man that was lying on the ground in front of her, lifelessly.

It all happened so fast that she still needed some time in order for the realization to overcome her but for now, all she could do was watch his dead body with wide emerald eyes.

His blood was dripping down the length of Lok's blade, the crimson liquid dropping down onto the ground as Dante approached the teens. He stopped next to Sophie, his eyes soft as he put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"He's dead." Sophie whispered, speaking it out loud making it seem realer. "He's finally dead."

Dante gave her shoulder a soft squeeze as Lok moved to stand in front of Sophie, using a hand to tilt her chin upwards so that her gaze shifted from Kiel's corpse to him.

"He will never cause you any more harm Soph." Lok softly spoke, his heart breaking as he saw how a tear leaked from Sophie's eyes, her emerald orbs filled with relief as the realization slowly dawned on her.

"Thank you Lok." She whispered softly, her words drowning under the sound of the still ongoing battle but Lok didn't need to hear them in order to know what Sophie was saying.

He offered her a big smile and ignored the feeling of his heart clenching at the thought that he had just taken a person's life. He's always been strongly opposed to killing and only considered it an option when one of his family members was in lethal danger, the team being a part of his family.

"It's the least I could do for you Sophie." Lok returned, affectionately caressing her cheek before he allowed his hand to fall back so that it was hanging next to his side again, his blue eyes then falling on Dante, whose eyes seemed to be fixed on something behind Lok though.

Dante's expression was gravely serious and Lok instantly tensed as Dante's eyes narrowed. Lok wrapped an arm around Sophie's waste as he gently pushed her behind him before he turned around to face whatever Dante was looking at.

Standing behind Kiel's corpse was a woman that seemed to be their age. Her long black locks reached her spine while her crimson eyes that seemed to be eerily similar to Kiel's pierced through the darkness of the night.

She was clad in a light blue colored dress, its sleeves covering her arms while the upper part seemed to be skin tight whereas its skirt was lose. A royal red-colored coat was draped around her shoulders and for a moment, she seemed both out of place and yet, fit perfectly into the scene.

The corner of her lips turned upwards as she tilted her head lightly aside, crimson eyes falling on the corpse that was lying before her very own feet. The woman feigned a pout and shook her head at him as she crossed her arms above her chest.

"You killed my favorite toy within seconds." She sighed, her velvet voice laced with fake disappointment as she looked up to meet the team's grave eyes. "And you didn't even let him fight, how boring."

Lok kept a firm grip on Sophie as he watched how Dante was openly frowning by now as he looked at the woman. Her entire presence screamed authority and the way she was holding herself could have easily fooled Dante into believing that she was royalty.

If he didn't know better he would have believed her to be a vampire. They shared many similarities, now that he thought of it. The pale skin and blood-red eyes, the way they eyed their pray with their piercing gaze and how they held themselves making one believe that they were royalty.

Dante knew that she would bear her venomous fangs soon too if things were to go on like this.

And even though she radiated trouble off of her presence in waves, he couldn't help but notice how despite of the color of her hair and eyes she somewhat reminded him of their newest addition to the team.

Their full lips, high cheekbones and slender frame were some things that the two girls were having in common. His eyes narrowed as he took a closer look at her. Sara mentioned that her big sister had died in a car-crash together with her parents and everyone knew that fate was something that even death could not meddle with.

"Victoria Nero, I assume."

Silence fell over the small group as sparkles of amusement brightened up her menacingly glowing crimson orbs, her gaze fixed on Dante as she put a hand on her right hip.

Sophie narrowed her eyes as she and Lok exchanged a confused glance upon Dante mentioning Sara's surname. Of course there were a lot of people that went by the surname Nero and yet, Sophie couldn't help but feel like she was somehow related to Sara.

"Leave it to the infamous Dante Vale to pick up the similarities between me and my little sister." Victoria drawled as she run a hand through her long black hair. She watched how Sophie's eyes widened out of realization, the Casterwill heiress grabbing Lok's forearm tightly as the blonde felt his insides churn.

Didn't Sara say that she died some years ago though? Lately, it seemed as if everyone was coming back to life and now all they needed was Rassimov in order to plan their funeral.

"You may share the same physical traits, but I can already tell that you are nothing alike." Dante smoothly returned, eyes narrowing as he pursed his lips into a thin line. "She knows the difference between right and wrong whereas you seemingly don't."

Victoria merely chuckled, the sound causing a chill to run down the team's spine as she lifted a hand into the air. "I beg to differ. There is no right or wrong in this world, only power." She replied as she once more lowered her hand, eyes burning dangerously. "It has always been just that, power. The one's with powers rule whereas the one's without either die or live a pathetic life. Tell me, would you spare the life of the person that had killed thousands of people just because it's not right to kill someone? Or would you kill him because it was right, despite of killing being wrong?"

Dante remained silent, knowing better than to give in into her mind-games. They always started like that, trying to somewhat justify their actions so that they would understand the reasons and intentions for their actions and yet, nothing could justify evil.

"Enlighten me then. If there is no right and no wrong in this world, what would you call your intentions then?" Dante calmly returned, watching how she shot him a smile in return. She seemed to have realized that Dante was not going to take the usual route anyone else would in this kind of situation.

"My intentions are neither right or wrong. They are simply that, intentions that will lead me to power. Is it right that I started a war? No, it isn't. Is it wrong that I have done so in order to get what I want?" She asked, pausing for a moment as her grin turned sharp. "Certainly not. I am merely fighting for what I want, just as you are. You fight for peace and balance. Is killing people in order to maintain peace right? No. Is it wrong to simply sit back and do nothing in order to get what one wants? Yes it is."

Lok had to admit that by now, he was feeling quite lightheaded. All this talk about right and wrong was seriously getting to him and whereas he kind of understood her words, he didn't allow himself to dwell onto the matter for too long.

"What would you need such power for then?" Sophie inquired as she straightened her posture once more, her emerald eyes narrowed as she regarded the black-haired female closely. Something was off about her and somehow Sophie felt the same tug at her soul as she did the previous night, although less intense.

Victoria merely hummed lightly in return as she eyed the young Casterwill girl in front of her with a calculating gaze. "That is for me to know and for you to find out, little Casterwill heiress." She then feigned a sigh and shot the team an apologetic gaze. "I apologize in advance for killing you, but I can at least promise you that I won't regret doing so."

Dante clenched his fists as he allowed his powers to run straight into his hands and feet just to be prepared in case she would try something.

Victoria smiled. "Getting killed by her Champion is at least a story that will be told throughout the generations." She suddenly spoke and before they were able to react, Victoria merely lifted her right hand and with a flick of her wrist, Lok felt his grip on the handle of the sword automatically tighten.

He tried to let go of it but no matter how hard he tried, it seemed as if his hands were glowed on the handle. His eyes widened out of panic as he felt how an invisible force suddenly pulled the sword and him forwards, a gasp escaping his lips as he felt his entire body stiffen.

"What in Casterwills name is going on?" Lok exclaimed, concerned blue eyes snapping to Dante, who in return glared at Victoria. It seemed as if she had somehow managed to gain control over the sword and within the next moment, the sword made a sharp turn so that it's tip was pointed right at Sophie's chest.

The young girls eyes widened out of shock as she took a couple of steps back, the sword following her every movement like a magnet.

"Lok, try to let go of the sword!" Sophie called as she used Hyperstride to move a couple of steps back and yet, Lok and the sword followed right behind.

Dante charged towards Victoria who remained standing on the very same spot, perfectly calm as she saw how Dante was gradually drawing closer.

"Sophie, hang in there!" Dante called as he jumped into the air before he allowed his glowing fist to collide with ground what caused the earth to palpably shake beneath their feet.

Victoria faded into nothingness within the blink of an eye before Dante felt a cool chill from behind him. He whirled around and extended his leg in order to kick her but she once more disappeared in front of his very own eyes before suddenly appearing to his right.

He swiftly managed to dodge the spell that was flying towards him before he once more aimed a spell at her. Just as he thought that it may hit her, she once more flickered into nothingness and this time, Dante frowned.

All of sudden he suddenly felt her palm gently pressing against his ribcage, a burning sensation that was similar to being shit multiple times in a row causing him to stagger backwards in pain.

He gritted his team as he struggled to stand upright, glaring at the female that was openly laughing at him. "You don't actually think that you are a match to me?" She spoke, clearly amused as she took a step closer to him. "You can't win Dante Vale. One moment I am standing right in front of you," She whispered, her velvet voice echoing loudly in his head as he suddenly felt how she was standing to his right. "-and the next I am right by your side."

Having already expected this, Dante dodged the dark knifes that came flying towards him as he jumped a few meters back in order to put some distance between them but once again, she was already behind him.

"Cute." Victoria merely commented as she grinned, enjoying herself as she kicked Dante right into the back, causing the seeker to get hurled through the air. Being Dante, he swiftly regained his foot and managed to land on the ground without any more troubles.

"Lok, stop it!" Dante suddenly heard Sophie's pained scream, his heart making a jump as he turned his head to see Sophie jumping away from Lok, cradling her bleeding arm against her chest with a pained expression.

Lok however seemed beyond guilty and concerned as he was once more forced forwards, his arm allowing the sword to slice through the air in hope of hitting Sophie whereas he tried to stop any movements in the first place.

"I can't! I am trying but I really can't!" Lok called as his arm reluctantly moved and the sword once more whipped through the air and just barely missed Sophie's neck.

Dante suddenly frowned as he looked at the sword that was engulfed in a red fog and then back at Veronica, his eyes slowly narrowing out of realization whereas the young woman merely grinned in return, already predicting his next words.

"You can control titans."

It was logic. That explained how she could control Lok's sword and also why Sophie was being in such great pain the previous night. It was because Victoria had somehow managed to mess with the bond that Sophie and her titans shared.

It wasn't a question but Victoria decided to answer it nonetheless. "Indeed I can." Victoria admitted as she licked her bottom lip. "As much as I love to play with you, I have to take care of my actual business now." She revealed before she once more disappeared, leaving Dante who instantly acted.

The seeker used Nimblefire to swiftly charge towards the teens but he was too slow, for Victoria was already standing behind Sophie with glowing red eyes. A grin spread on her lips as she once again lifted her hand that was glowing purple because Sophie froze in place.

She felt her breath hitch in her throat as she felt ever muscle in her body disobey her orders. Her mind was screaming at her to move, to get out of harm's way or to do something and yet, she felt her heart clench as a cold sensation engulfed her in a familiar matter.

Her wide emerald eyes could only watch how Lok was charging towards her despite of him trying to stop him. His eyes were open wide in panic as he desperately tried to let go of the sword, in vain.

"Sophie!" Lok screamed alarmed as he saw that she was merely standing there, not moving as he was gradually growing closer to her.

Dante was running as fast as he could, his heartbeat echoing loudly in his ears as he desperately tried to reach Sophie before Lok did.

His panicked amber eyes were open wide while his jaw was clenched, his gaze falling on Lok who was mere steps away from his girlfriend by now.

"Lok-" Sophie called, panic etching in her voice as she felt her heart beating rapidly against her ribcage up to the point where it was painful for her to breathe.

"Sophie!" Lok yelled as he lifted his sword, ready to strike as his blue eyes met familiar emerald ones. They both looked beyond scared and yet, there was a spark of acceptance in Sophie's eyes that would haunt Lok in his very dreams for as long as he would live.

It was the spark of acceptance that a dying person had and her eyes were filled with both panic and understanding that silently told Lok that she knew that he didn't do it on purpose and that it wasn't his fault.

Lok felt a tear roll down his cheek and closed his eyes and with that, his hands moved.

All Dante could do was watch how Lok swung his sword at Sophie, his fingers brushing against the material of Sophie's top but it was too late.

Dante was too slow.

His body collided with the ground as a sudden yell cut through the darkness of the night, causing Dante to feel his heart stop dead in his chest.

He dared to let his gaze wander up and to say that he felt like he had just felt his heart crack would have been an understatement.

Lok was suddenly hurled backwards by Den who was pinning the boy's wrists above his head with the help of Stone-grip while William was holding Sophie bridal style. He had never felt more relieved in his entire life to see the rest of his team and lastly, his eyes fell on Zhalia and Sara who were both standing in front of Dante, blocking him from Victoria's sight.

Zhalia's eyes narrowed as she looked at Den. "You doing okay?" She asked the boy who shot her a grin over his shoulder, a thin layer of sweat covering his forehead as he struggled to keep a firm grip on Lok who looked as if he could cry out of relief upon seeing his team member.

"Just fine."

Zhalia's eyes then slid back to Victoria, whose grin had disappeared the moment she laid eyes on Sara. The young brunette in return was looking at her sister with wide eyes, not believing that her very own sister was standing right in front of her, alive and trying to kill her team mates.

"Victoria." The pained whisper passed her lips as William moved to stand next to Sara, his hold on Sophie tight while Dante had swiftly moved to stand to Zhalia's left.

Victoria's gaze darkened as she looked at her little sister with calculating eyes. "Sara, I see that you have been well." She spoke up and even though it was a seemingly innocent observation, Sara knew better.

"All this time I thought that you were dead." She whispered, her eyes narrowing as hurt filled her eyes. "And yet you were alive all this time, plotting to take over the world!"

Zhalia's glance cautiously slid to the left to see that by now, it seemed like Den was struggling to keep Lok on the ground, the blonde trying to shake off his teammate against his will.

Zhalia swiftly moved over to Lok and Den's side before she knelt down next to them. Her eyes were soft and filled with pity as she looked at the blonde's tear stricken expression.

"Calm down, I'll put an end to this." Zhalia whispered as she gently lifted her hand, channeling her energy into her hand as she gently placed her palm over Lok's right hand that was seemingly attached at the sword.

The blonde let out a pained yelp as he felt an unfamiliar power enter his system, his entire body cramping as his grip on the sword tightened.

Zhalia did the same, tightening her hand on his as she focused on getting the right amount of power into his system.

"It hurts Zhaal." Lok breathed in a pained whisper, his eyes shining with pain as Zhalia bit her lower lip in return. She knew that it did, but she couldn't change it if she wanted to break the spell.

"Just a few more seconds Lok." She assured the blonde, slowly removing her hand from his.

Lok felt as if she was pulling out his powers and ever so slowly calmed with the pain fading as she broke the curse and Lok's grip on the sword loosened before he was able to completely drop it.

Lok was breathing heavily as Zhalia fully removed her hands and Den went off of the blonde, pulling him up with him as Lok let out a shaky breath.

Victoria's gaze suddenly shifted on them as she pursed her lips into a thin line, her gaze falling on Zhalia as she narrowed her eyes. "There was no reason to tell you that I was live." Victoria spoke, her voice cold and monotonous as she returned her impassive gaze to Sara's hurt one. "I wanted to keep you away from this world until I had fully taken over it but now that you already are a seeker, you may as well help me."

William frowned as he let out a huff, his dark-green eyes narrowing upon hearing his oldest niece's words. "Cut it Victoria, Sara won't help you in killing Sophie and Lok. They are her teammates, her _family,_ and one does not kill their own family." Will spoke, holding Sophie close as he snorted."Then again, you didn't hesitate to kill yours either."

Sara's eyes shot open wide as she looked at her sister in plain disbelief while Dante laid a hand on her shoulder, eyes filled with cold rage as he looked at Victoria whereas Den and Lok merely gasped upon hearing Will.

Victoria showed no sign of emotion as she impassively shrugged in return. "There had to be sacrifices in order for me to finally be free." She merely replied and Will growled at her in return.

"You killed your own parents, my _sister_ and her husband!" William snapped as his eyes were burning with fury. "What the hell have you turned into Victoria?"

Sara was unable to do as much as speak up as she felt Dante gently squeeze her shoulder, reminding her to not do something that she may regret later on.

"You're sick." Den snarled from where he was standing but Victoria paid his words no mind and merely rolled her eyes.

"You know what, I grow tired of you." Victoria suddenly spoke up, her eyes beginning to glow a brighter shade of red as her eyes turned to settle on Sara. "This is your last change Sara. Join me and spent your life actually living or die with the rest of your pathetic little team."

Silence fell over them as Sara lowered her head, hands clenched into fists as she bit her lower lip until it drew blood. Her heart was aching by simply hearing her sisters voice again after all these years.

It was then that she had realized that things would never be able to be the same as they were back when they were still younger and that maybe, her sister Victoria that she had once dearly loved had really died in the car-crash.

She wouldn't consider the girl in front of her as her sister.

"I pass." Sara firmly spoke as she lifted her head once more, tear-filled blue eyes filled with both regret and determination. Regret because she wouldn't be able to reason with her sister and determination because she would finally do the right thing for once.

For the first time after minutes, Victoria grinned once more as she eyed the seeker in front of her. "Well then, I hope that had a nice life because I will out an end to it right now."

With that, the real fight had started.

Victoria disappeared out of sight and in the next moment was standing in front of Lok, holding the handle of the sword that was now piercing through the young boy's abdomen.

"Lok!" Sophie's panicked scream echoed through the entire battlefield as she moved out of Williams hold and intended to run towards Lok, her tears now falling freely as she was firmly being held back by William.

Lok's eyes were open wide as he looked at Victoria with disbelieving eyes, his shaking hands hanging loosely at his sides as a silent scream escaped his slightly parted lips.

Zhalia and the other's eyes widened out of shock and just as Victoria removed the sword from Lok's abdomen, the blonde collapsed on the ground.

Victoria grinned as she eyed the team with amused eyes. "One down, one more to go." She said as her eyes fixed on Sophie and it was then that the others were finally able to move.

"Lok!" Den screamed at the top of his lungs as he and Zhalia swiftly run to his side, the female cradling the young boys shaking body into her arms. Her eyes were open wide and her heart was racing as she put a hand on the place where the sword has pierced Lok, the young boys sharp and pained gasps deafening her ears.

Zhalia's hands instantly glowed a warm green hue as she pushed all of her remaining powers into healing the young boy. He was at death's door, his skin having already turned as pale as a sheet and his wide eyes were unfocused.

A sudden scream gained their attention as their heads whirled to the right to see Sara holding her left forearm with a pained expression just as Sophie had done moments ago.

Victoria appeared and disappeared all within the split of seconds as she tried to get to Sophie but the others have formed a circle around her, shielding the young heiress who was beyond shaken as the scene of how Veronica had mercilessly rammed Lok's sword into his abdomen, his wide and pained blue eyes meeting hers.

The tears were falling freely by now as she looked at Zhalia from behind Dante's back who had somehow managed to get a hold of Victoria's forearm and used Venomhand on her before she faded into nothingness again.

"No matter what happens, she mustn't get to Sophie!" Dante yelled as Will was suddenly hurled through the air and right towards Lok, Zhalia and Den who were watching the scene with concerned eyes.

"Den, go and help them protect Sophie!" Zhalia ordered as she held Lok closer to herself, his sharp inhaling of air growing more and more uneven. Den looked at the two of them, hesitating to leave them on their own but Zhalia narrowed her eyes.

"Den , now!" Zhalia yelled and ever so reluctant, Den darted towards the others and took Will's former position as he was limping back to the group, his niece having managed to cut his leg.

Blood was oozing out of the fresh cut but Will wouldn't let that stop him.

Another yell.

Zhalia shut her eyes close as she tried to block out the sound of Den's pained yell as she gently laid Lok onto the ground, the blonde's eyes now closed while his breathing was becoming slower by the minute.

She was losing him.

Zhalia desperately pushed all of her remaining energy into his body, praying to whoever was willing to listen that she would give anything in order for Lok to survive.

Sophie was still behind her teams back, desperately trying to do something, _anything,_ but as far as she was concerned Victoria could kill her any second just as she had killed Lok.

A frustrated yell ripped out of her throat as more tears fell. She hated being useless and wanted nothing more than to help her team fight them and yet here she was, unable to do anything but stand there, waiting for a miracle to happen.

Sara gritted her teeth as Den's scream came from her right, her senses screaming at her to do something but she simply couldn't come up with something

Victoria was strong and the fact that she was able to seemingly teleport was not helping the matter at all either.

Sara narrowed her eyes as she once more aimed a kick at Victoria before she disappeared into thin air in front of her very own eyes. She had never heard of a spell that could teleport a seeker just like that and maybe she wasn't even teleporting in the first place.

Her eyes widened as her eyes fell on Zhalia who was still healing Lok, realization dawning on her as she turned to look at Dante.

"Dante, I need you to hold my place for a second. Think you can do that?" Sara asked as Victoria's annoyed growl sounded from her left where she was desperately trying to get between Den and Will who were both using Armorbrand to push her back.

Dante gave the young girl a curt nod and without wasting another second, Sara darted towards Zhalia with the aid of Nimblefire.

The bluenettes head snapped up just in time to see Sara approach her at full speed, her breathing labored as her burning blue eyes met hers.

"I need you to get a hold of Victoria while I heal Lok." Sara curtly informed her, causing Zhalia to frown as Sara knelt down next to Lok and laid her already glowing hands over hers.

Zhalia frowned, hazel eyes confused as she looked at the girl as if she had lost his sanity by now. "How the hell am I supposed to do that?" She asked as she continued to heal Lok with Sara's help until she would explain what she had in mind.

"Victoria is not teleporting, Zhalia." Sara revealed, blue eyes shining with urgency as her eyes met Zhalia's. "She's turning invisible with the help of some titan."

Zhalia's eyes suddenly widened out of realization as her eyes snapped to Sara's. It made sense. All Victoria needed was a Gareon amulet and with the titans help she could turn invisible, if only for a short amount of time.

"You need to keep on healing Lok. Don't stop, even if he stops breathing Sara." Zhalia curtly ordered her student, who in return nodded.

Zhalia jumped on her feet and called Gareon through their power-bond, the young titan instantly appearing by her side as she narrowed her eyes.

It was time to put an end to this.

"Copykind!" Zhalia gently called the familiar spell and in the next moment, turned invisible. The moment she did, she was able to clearly see Victoria as she was stalking towards an oblivious Will.

Zhalia didn't waste any time and swiftly run towards Victoria, her hand already glowing as she mentally summoned a Venomhand.

Suddenly, Victoria lifted her sword and before Zhalia or anyone else could stop her, she rammed it straight into Will's chest.

Screams and shouts followed as Victoria pulled the sword out of her Uncle's chest, the male's now limp body falling onto the ground as he coughed up blood.

"Uncle Will!" Came Sara's scream and Zhalia knew that even if someone would have the time to heal him, there was no possible way of saving him.

She felt a sudden rush of adrenaline rushing through her veins as Sophie desperately tried to heal Will while Dante and Den kept on trying to get a hold on Victoria, but the male didn't respond to Sophie's powers.

His green eyes met Sophie's emerald one's as she tried her best to keep him alive. The sword had pierced his heart and that was something that not even magic was able to heal.

Victoria had fortunately only pierced Lok's abdomen and thus there was still hope for the blonde, but Will wouldn't survive the blow.

Tears run down Sophie's cheeks as she put her all into healing him but no matter how hard she tried, his body rejected her magic.

She suddenly felt a hand on her wrist and her eyes snapped back to his just in time to see him shoot her a weak smile, blood oozing out of his mouth as a choking sound passed his lips.

"Sara-" He choked out, coughing once more as Sophie gave him a swift nod, instantly understanding what he meant.

"We'll take care of her, I promise." Sophie whispered as she gave his hand a gentle squeeze. Will managed to give her a weak nod, managing to mouth a small thanks in return.

She helplessly watched how Will's body eventually stilled and his body grew limp, his green eyes turning dull as all life that was left completely disappeared.

Sophie felt her heart clench as she watched how Dante and Den were struggling to keep up with Victoria's blows and if they weren't careful, they would be the next ones.

Zhalia was steadily approaching Victoria who was still oblivious to the fact that Zhalia was now invisible as well. Only a seeker that was using a titans ability to turn invisible could see another seeker who did the same.

The bluenette charged towards Victoria at full speed just as she was about to slash the sword across Dante's throat and in that very moment Zhalia roughly grabbed the wrist that was holding the sword in one hand whereas she used her other one to ram her fist into Victoria's chest.

Victoria's eyes widened out of surprised as she found herself flying backwards in a rush, the pain of Zhalia's spell filling her body as her body collided with the ground that was a few meters away from the team.

Dante's somewhat surprised eyes fell on Zhalia who was standing in front of him, covering her team as she narrowed her eyes.

"She uses Copykind in order to turn invisible." Zhalia swiftly informed them, both of her fists now glowing darkly as Dante's brows furrowed out of realization. "Dante, I need you to grab the sword so that I can hold a grip on her."

Zhalia didn't need to elaborate for Dante instantly got her plan. "Got it." Dante merely returned as he watched how in the next moment both Veronica and Zhalia disappeared.

The hazel-eyed seeker didn't waste any time and swiftly charged towards Victoria, the fury that was burning in her hazel eyes lending her the needed strength to reach Victoria faster than normal.

Victoria was clearly angered by now for her eyes were burning as she went into a fighting position, the sword drawn as she prepared herself to attack Zhalia.

Zhalia swiftly dodged the sword as it flew towards her and just barely graced her left shoulder, the bluenette using Shadowspeed before she rammed her heel into Victoria's neck.

The female stumbled a few steps forwards and once more aimed the sword at Zhalia, managing to cut the skin on her cheek as Zhalia swiftly whirled around, intending to grab Victoria's collar but she was faster.

"Bloodcutter!" Victoria called as she shot the Spell at Zhalia while she swung the sword at her as well. Zhalia couldn't possibly dodge both and thus, she felt her skin burning as the spell hit her right in the ribs, causing her to sharply exhale as pain filled her senses.

"Darkfog." Zhalia called as she darted towards Victoria, shrouded by the fog that the spell created and just then, the bluenette was able to finally get a hold of the black-haired female's neck. Zhalia swiftly blocked the sword that came soaring at her with Armorbrand as her eyes flashed yellow and with that, she broke the spell.

As soon as Dante saw them again, he charged towards them and while Victoria was trying to break through Armorbrand with the help of the sword, Zhalia tried her best to maintain the spell.

Dante took his chance and roughly grabbed Victoria's wrist, holding it in a stone grip as he tried to make her release the sword. She refused to and tried to use her other hand to shoot a spell at them but Dante swiftly blocked it with his free hand, the sound of cracking bone's cutting through the air as he grabbed Victoria and hurled her onto the ground with full force.

Zhalia then straddled the girl like Den had done with Lok moments ago, pinning her wrists above her head with the help of stone grip as Dante broke her wrist, her pained scream cutting through he sounds of the still on-going battle around them as he pulled the sword out of her grip with as much force as he could muster.

It was then that Dante looked at Zhalia, the latter one returning his gaze as she instantly understood his message. His eyes then fell back on Victoria who eyed them with wide, burning crimson eyes that were filled with hatred.

"You won't win!" She screeched on top of her lungs, struggling under Zhalia's grip as she growled and looked at Dante. "The damage is already done and even if I die, there'll never be peace!"

Dante exhaled deeply as he looked at the young girl that was lying on the ground in front of her, her corrupted heart having consumed any kind of good that had been left in her.

"You are right, the damage is done and we can't change it." Dante admitted, weighting the sword in his hands as he pursed his lips into a thin line. "But you are wrong. I know of your link with the Spiral Mark and with your death, it will disappear from this world just as you will and all that will remain is the memory."

Victoria let out a hysterical laugh as she struggled beneath Zhalia, the raven-haired female growling as she looked at the young girl beneath her. "You really think that you're great, don't you Dante Vale?" Victoria spat his name with a grin as she let out a content sigh. "Even with the Spiral Mark and me gone, there are people that are already plotting the next big thing."

Dante closed his eyes and without wasting any more second, rammed the sword into Victoria's chest where her Spiral Mark was supposed to be located at, judging by the information that Will had provided him with.

He couldn't bear to hear any more of her words and as much as he wanted to keep Victoria alive for Sara's sake, he couldn't. She was the link to the Spiral Mark and with her being alive; the Spiral Mark was as well. Thus, with her death the Spiral mark would once and for all completely disappear.

A sudden blinding beam of red filled the field and Victoria screamed out of pain, eyes open wide as Dante and Zhalia could only watch how she slowly disappeared and her body turned into a pile of ashes.

Zhalia remained seated on the spot, her heart clenching as she locked her gaze on the piled of ashes that was in front of her.

The war was over and they have won.

William died, Lok was at the brink of death and both Sophie and Sara would most likely suffer under a trauma after what had happened.

A hand suddenly filled her vision and as soon a she followed the length of the arm, her gaze locked with a familiar pair of amber ones.

She gladly accepted it, although with a heavy heart, and allowed Dante to pull her back on her feet. The two of them then looked at the place where Will's body was supposed to be laying at just to see Sara sitting there, holding the dead body of her uncle tightly in her arms as she cried into his neck.

Zhalia's heart broke at the sight and she wanted to do nothing more than to hug the young girl. She truly pitied her; she had witnessed her own sister killing her uncle before she herself got killed in front of her very own eyes.

Kneeling next to Sara was Den who was laying a comforting hand on her shoulder, expression grim as he looked at Dante and Zhalia.

The adults gaze then fell on Lok's now unconscious body, Sophie kneeling next to him as she continued to heal the blonde. He had regained some color and his breathing seemed to have labored as well whereas Sophie looked like an exhausted mess.

The battle around them slowly stilled as well, the Foundation having managed to get the upper hand until most Spirals disappeared and fled upon hearing of their leader's death.

It was their victory, but why weren't they happy?

Sophie then looked up at her mentors and offered them a sad, yet exhausted smile as she finally removed her glowing hands from Lok's abdomen.

"How is he?" Dante inquired as he moved to stand next to the young Casterwill heiress, his gaze falling on Lok's unconscious form.

Sophie sighed. "He's still unconscious but I managed to stop the bleeding and heal the most lethal damage. He needs to rest so that his body can fully recover." Sophie informed them, voice laced with concern as she gently laid her palm on his in sweat covered forehead.

"As we all do." Zhalia muttered, feeling how the exhaustion was slowly beginning to take over her body as Dante laid an arm around her waist in order to steady her, his expression concerned before his gaze fell onto his broken team.

Metz would most likely send someone who would take care of the bodies and the Foundation seekers that remained were already cheering, celebrating their victory whereas Dante felt as if his team was the one that had lost.

He needed to take them back home; all of them so that they would firstly get some rest and process what had happened.

Sighing, Dante tightened his hold on Zhalia as his warm amber eyes looked at his team, his heart breaking at the sight of their pain.

"Let's go home team."

X

This was the last official chapter of HOC, an Epilogue will be posted **very soon** that will also include all the answers to the questions that remain and much more so stay tuned! I decided to post one because else, this chapter would have been to long but I promise that it will answer all of our questions regarding the characters, the aftermath, the fight that just happened etc etc etc.

I wanted to thank everyone who ever took their time to show me their support by following/favoring and reviewing this story. I can't believe that it's been a year since I posted the first chapter and not in my wildest dreams would I have imagined to receive such a huge amount of support, for what I will eternally be grateful to you.

A Special thanks to:

NinaVale

IreneRays

Amelia

Dorotea de la Vega

Die Krote

Maryamdxz

Booklover113

PiaNoir

Aurora Nature

Carter Casterwill

Lady Athena of Olymp

…and everyone else who ever showed me their support! I honestly can't thank you enough. After the Epilogue, HOC will officially be completed and whereas I already got a new story planned, I don't know when I will turn it into a story so please be patient with me.

I truly love you guys, thank you for everything!

Lots of Love xoxo,

Sara


	37. Epilogue

_**Epilogue**_

 _What followed the battle was a plain mess._

Dante had to take care of all the paper work and spent hours talking to the council in order to explain what had happened in detail.

Zhalia helped out wherever she could, taking care of the mission report while Dante was busy with the council. The teens were still upstairs, sound asleep due to the exhaustion from the battle of the previous night.

They certainly needed it and Zhalia made sure to check on them every once in a while to ensure that they were alright and actually sleeping, especially Lok who's condition was gradually becoming better. He was no longer unconscious and instead in a deep slumber.

Zhalia had assured Sophie and the others to take care of Lok while they would sleep since he still needed to get a healing session in order for the injuries to heal. They weren't lethal anymore, but still not harmless and thus Zhalia had spent the rest of the night healing Lok up to the point where all that remained was a scar from where the sword had cut through his skin and a horribly sore teen.

In the end, neither she nor Dante managed to get any sleep at all.

 _There was guilt,_

It was late noon when surprisingly Lok was the first one to wake up, confused and startled to find himself back in his rooms with only a scar on his abdomen where he expected to find a fairly fresh wound.

He was still feeling drowsy and a wave of dizziness overcame him as he tried to sit up and the blonde groaned at the headache that made it noticeable.

Lok turned his head to the right and whereas his vision was still slightly blurry, he suddenly found himself staring into a familiar pair of tired emerald eyes that were staring right back at him.

His heart made a jump as he saw Sophie's eyes widen in return, all sleep instantly leaving her system as she realized that Lok was indeed awake.

"Lok." Sophie breathed his name, feeling how the pain in her heart lessened as she felt relief flood her entire body upon seeing him awake.

Lok frowned as he looked at Sophie, still confused as to why they were already back. For a moment he actually considered the possibility that he had only dreamt all of it but unfortunately, the scar told him otherwise.

"Sophie," He started, his voice rough due to his dry throat as he winced at the pain that shot through his body upon talking again. "-what happened?" Lok eventually managed to croak out, eager to know just what exactly happened while he was out. Did they win or lose? Did anyone die? Where were the others and what happened to Victoria?

There were so many questions that he wanted answers to, _needed_ answers to but fortunately Sophie was with him, seemingly uninjured and able to provide him with some answers.

Sophie shifted lightly, her eyes saddening as the corner of her lips turned downwards. "After Victoria injured you, Zhalia instantly rushed to heal you. Victoria came for me next because it turned out that she needed the two of us dead in order to unlock the Spiral Marks full powers because I am the heiress of the Casterwill family the direct descendant of Lord Casterwill himself while you are my Champion." Sophie started to explain and judging by the way his eyes considerably widened, he was just as surprised at hearing the news as she had been when Dante had told her afterwards.

"You 'kay?" Lok rasped, concern shining in his blue orbs as he once more scanned Sophie's body, the strawberry blonde girl nodding in return.

"I am. Dante and the rest formed a circle around me so that Victoria wouldn't be able to get to me. Unfortunately, she managed to hit William…" Sophie trailed of, his pained eyes filling her vision as she felt her chest tighten at the memory of the man's last moment.

Lok's expression turned grim whereas his eyes were filled with regret and sadness, instantly fearing what Sophie would say next.

"He died in a matter of seconds in my arms."

Lok felt as if someone had punched him right in the chest, knocking all air out of his lungs as he felt the remorse practically washing over him in waves. He hadn't get to know this man and yet it was still not nice to hear that their comrade, someone who protected Sophie and died in the process.

"He was Sara's uncle and a close friend of Dante." Sophie grimly added, causing Lok's eyes to wide. He didn't know that Will and Sara were related and this very fact made it all worse. "The rest of the team is alright, shaken but unharmed. You gave us quite a scare Lok."

Lok's eyes softened as he looked at Sophie, his expression apologetic as he lifted a shaky hand before he gently laid it on Sophie's head. "Sorry, for everything Sophie." Lok spoke, his voice low as he was finally able to somewhat speak properly again.

His throat was still scratching as Sophie gently laid a hand over his, shaking her head at the blonde. "No Lok, _I_ am sorry for not being able to help. All I did was sit back and watch how Victoria almost killed you and actually killed Will as he and the others shielded me with their life so that she wouldn't get to me. I did _nothing_ to help." Her voice trailed off, her throat closing up as a sharp pain in her heart caused Sophie to inhale sharply.

She hated to be useless. Someone had paid with his life to protect her while all she did was sit back and watch how they fought their enemy. She was the heiress of the Casterwill family for god's sake, how is she supposed to be a great heiress when she still needed others to protect her?

Lok sighed and with a swift motion, wrapped an arm around the petite girl and pulled her closer to him so that her head was resting in the crook of his neck. "Sophie, it's not your fault. You couldn't have done anything and needed to survive so that Victoria wouldn't win. You saved us by surviving and thanks to that, we won. Although I do wonder how you managed to defeat Victoria in the first place."

Sophie exhaled a deep breath, her cool forehead resting against Lok's cool neck as she closed her eyes. She knew that he was right, but it hurt to know that she had been unable to do anything to actually help nonetheless.

Thinking back to their battle, Sophie savored the feeling of Lok close to her and allowed herself to relax in his hold. For a moment she had actually believed him to be dead and no words could ever explain the hurt that she had felt in that moment.

In the end, Sophie explained what happened after Lok turned unconscious and together, the two of them spent the next hour merely lying there as they talked about the battle.

 _Pain,_

Sara woke up with a gasp, covered in sweat as she was breathing heavily. She scanned her surroundings, confused to find herself in her room for a moment before the previous events came back to her with full force. The brunette felt her heart shatter as the face of her sister flashed in front of her eyes, the blood-red eyes that were filled with hatred and pure thirst for power as she mercilessly rammed the sword right through their uncle's chest.

Sara shut her blue eyes close and held her head, trying to get rid of the scenes but her mind refused to listen to her. Her very own sister had killed their uncle without as much as batting an eye just to get killed by her mentor in the end. Sara couldn't say that it didn't hurt to watch because even though she knew that Victoria ha probably taken many others lives as well, it has been her sister.

It has been the very same sister that had killed her last living relative without as much as a care, leaving Sara once more alone and without family.

A tear rolled down her cheek and Sara clenched her teeth, refusing to let the others fall that once she would cry, she would be unable to ever stop.

The soft sound of a knock on her door had ripped her out of her musings and for a moment, Sara held her breath. She didn't feel like seeing anyone at the moment and wanted nothing more than to lock herself away for eternity and completely isolate herself from everyone and yet, a small part of her was screaming at her to let whoever was willing to knock on her door in.

"Come in."

She spoke these words without thinking and for a moment, held her breath out of anticipation as she watched how the door opened.

Entering her room was none other than Den, dressed in a pair of sweats and a plain white shirt with messy hair. He looked tired, beyond exhausted and had dark rings under his eyes that suggested that he didn't get to sleep for too long.

Den's dark eyes fell on his teammate who was sitting on her bed, her back leaning against the headrest as she was holding a pillow. She looked just as bad as he did, dressed in a long white nightgown while the dark circles under her puffy eyes told him that she had probably spent most of the awake.

She was looking out of the window to her right, eyes fixed on the bright blue sky of Venice as he softly closed the door behind him.

Den moved towards the bed and sat down on its end, facing the bright window as well as a sigh escaped his lips.

For a moment all there was had been silence. It wasn't the uncomfortable one and instead, the one where you appreciated one another's company without having to talk at all.

After some moments have passed, Den eventually decided to break it. "I just checked on the others. Zhalia and Dante are still talking to the council and Lok and Sophie are in his room. Sophie just filled him in on what happened and now they are talking about everyone and everything." The brunette male knew that she hadn't asked, but he simply felt like telling her.

Silence followed his words and for a moment, Den wondered if she would speak up as well. He didn't expect her to do so after everything that had happened to her and yet, he wanted to hear her voice again.

"That's good news." Sara suddenly whispered, gaze softening as a part of her was relieved that her teammates were alright. She was glad that they were unharmed and that Lok was doing well after all that happened and yet, she couldn't help but admire them for being this strong.

It was their third time doing this and Sara barely managed to handle the pain of her first war.

"It is." Den softly agreed before he eventually turned his head to look at her. She was still gazing out of the window, eyes sad as her lips were drawn into a thin line and Den couldn't help but pity the girl.

He had been able to save Harrison and he never realized just how truly lucky he was that he had been able to do so because the girl next to him had just lost everything she had left within the split of a second.

"How are you feeling?" Den asked after some more time, genuinely concerned as he watched how she bit the inside of her cheek upon hearing his question.

"Fine." She breathed as she tightened her hold on the pillow and bit her lower lip. "I mean, my dead sister killed our uncle, my last living relative and the person I considered my father after she injured Lok and tried to kill us all just for her to die _again_ but other than that I am fine." She trailed off and Den instantly noticed the tear that rolled down her cheek, his heart breaking at the sight.

"I'm fine." Sara once more repeated, her hold on the pillow tightening up to the point where her knuckles turned white as a sudden smile appeared on her lips, more tears falling.

Den felt his heart shatter and shifted on the bed so that his body was fully facing her and without hesitation, gently grabbed her wrist as he softly pulled the young girl forwards and right into his chest.

Sara didn't dare to object as she suddenly found herself leaning against her teammates chest, head buried in his neck as his arms were firmly wrapped around her. She didn't dare to move as the tears were falling freely by now, her smile long gone as she bit on her lower lip in order to pull herself together as good as she could.

"It's okay not to be fine, Sara." He softly mumbled against her hair and that was all that Sara needed to lose it.

She firmly grasped the front of his shirt and didn't do anything to hold back the tears as she held on him for dear life, burying her head into his neck as she cried.

"It hurts Den." The pained whisper passed her lips as she inhaled a shaky breath, the pain in her chest growing worse as she felt his grip on her tighten. "It hurts so bad."

Den pulled her closer, his grip on her tightening as he leaned his chin on the top of her head, his heart shattering at the sound of her voice, his heart aching for the girl in his arms that wept for her lost family.

"I know."

 _Regret,_

It was night when Dante and Zhalia managed to end the meeting with the council. Dante turned off the TV and exhaled a deep breath, exhausted after everything that he and his team went through during the past twenty four hours.

Zhalia was seated in the armchair and had just finished to neatly staple the piles of papers as she put them back to their rightful place in the safe that was located beneath Dante's bookshelf. She had always found it to be cliché, but the safe was the place where Dante put all the important documents into and since she was the only one who knew of it, she helped him whenever she could.

She shut the door of the safe close and locked it once more with the spell that Dante had showed her months ago. She allowed her palm to rest a moment longer on the cool surface of the metallic door as she exhaled deeply, head throbbing due to staying awake for so long.

"I am going to check on the others." Zhalia spoke, turning to look at Dante who was already standing at the bottom of the stairs, looking at her with tired amber eyes.

"I'll join you."

Zhalia send him a small yet genuine smile as he offered her his hand, which she gladly accepted. Together, the two of them made their way upstairs to the room of the teens and Zhalia mildly noted that Dante didn't let go of her hand. She didn't mind and knew just how much he needed to know that she was right there with him, just as she did.

Zhalia gave his hand a gently squeeze, his hold on hers tightening in return as they reached the floor where the teens rooms were located at. They silently entered Lok's room first just to see him and Sophie sprawled on his bed, one of his arms lazily thrown over her while her head was resting on his chest.

Dante chuckled at the sight, his amber eyes displaying the warmth that he felt at the sight whereas Zhalia merely smiled.

They proceeded by checking Den's room and to their surprise, they found it empty. Dante frowned as concern and confusion filled his eyes whereas Zhalia couldn't help but smile knowingly, much to his confusion.

"Do you know something I don't?" Dante asked, lifting a curious brow at the female next to him who merely closed the door of Den's room.

She looked up to meet his gaze. "Perhaps." She merely returned and lead the way to the last room on their list, Sara's.

Zhalia silently opened the door, careful not to wake the sleeping teens and to say that she was surpised at the sight would have been a lie.

Sitting on Sara's bead with his back resting against the headboard was Den; sound asleep with Sara in his arms that also seemed to be in a deep slumber.

She heard Dante sigh behind her and could practically feel him smile at the sight that greeted them. Dante knew that after everything that happened, the team would need a lot of healing and maybe they would be able to seek comfort in each other's presence.

They needed it in order to heal both individually and as a team. They would have to heal their wounds once more and deal with what happened in the battle, with the loss and the pain until they would be able to fully recover and once more find the strength to go on and continue to walk on the path called life.

As for now, they would simply wait until they would be ready to do so.

Dante and Zhalia decided to let the teens sleep and went back into Dante's room that had over the time become their shared bedroom.

Zhalia gently closed the door behind her and turned around to see Dante sitting on the edge of the bed, face in his hands and Zhalia instantly knew what was going on in his mind.

Her chest tightened at the sight and she gently made her way to sit down next to him, laying a soft hand on his shoulder.

"It wasn't your fault Dante." Zhalia whispered as if she had read his mind, instantly knowing his thoughts. After all these years she knew Dante better than she knew herself. She knew when he was hurting, when he was mad or whenever he was blaming himself for something.

This time, it was a mixture of all three of the above.

"What kind of a team leader am I if I can't even protect it?" Dante spoke, the bitterness in his voice clearly audible as he lifted his head to look at her. "Sophie almost got killed if it weren't for you to return last second, Lok barely made it out alive; I let Will die and killed your student's sister."

Zhalia narrowed her eyes as she saw the anger burning in his eyes. It wasn't directed at her or anyone in particular, that she knew, but it was directed at him.

"Dante, you did all you could." Zhalia spoke, voice firm as she watched how he stood up from the bed and moved to stand in the middle of the room, hands on his hips as he exhaled deeply. "You couldn't have possibly saved everyone on the battlefield. People are bound to get killed, that's what makes it a war."

Her hazel eyes watched how he remained still, not saying a word. He knew that she was right and yet, as the leader of the team he felt obligated to protect his team. The mere fact that he was unable to do so during the battle was enough to make him feel both guilty and angered.

"I should have tried harder." He eventually spoke, voice hard as he shook his head. "I should have tried harder to protect them."

Zhalia's had enough and swiftly stood up from where she was seated; walking towards Dante as she gently grabbed his shoulder to turn him around so that he would face her.

As soon as he did, hazel eyes clashed with amber ones and Zhalia could practically feel her heart break at the sight. They were shining brightly, filled with nothing but guilt and raw anger as they gazed into her calm hazel ones.

"Dante." She called his name softly, eyes softening as she allowed her hand to rest on his shoulder. "There was nothing you could have done. You ensured your teams safety and thanks to you, they managed to survive in the end. If it weren't for you, Kiel would have killed Sophie and Victoria would have only needed to hit Lok." The bluenette gently reminded him, having seen them with Kiel from afar as they tried to get to the others after they had met up with Will.

She then slid her hand from his shoulder to his neck, her eyes never leaving his. "So please," She breathed, her eyes pleading. "Stop blaming yourself for something that you no one could have possibly prevented from happening."

Dante's gaze did not waver as he continued to look into her eyes, her words like ice to a burn as he felt himself growing weak. He knew that she was right, as she always was. Zhalia had been the first and only one in his life who always found the right words without making up a lie or empty promises. She understood him like no one else did, shared her fears and secrets with him as he did with her and together, they shared a bond that was inseparable.

He gently wrapped his arms above her waste and laid his forehead against hers, never breaking eye contact as he felt looked at the woman in his arms with nothing but gratitude.

"What would I do without you." He mumbled, lifting a hand to gently trace his thumb over the line of her jaw until he allowed it to rest on her gin, tilting it upwards so that their lips were only a breath away from touching.

Zhalia smiled brilliantly in return. "Live a sad and lonely fiancée-less life?" She offered, eyes sparkling in amusement as she watched how Dante's eyes widened the smallest of bits upon realizing just what she had said.

He didn't expect her to bring it up this soon and yet, he couldn't complain. He knew that they would have to wait some time to get married because things still needed to calm down at the HQ's all over the world and they had a lot of things to take care of first, but they had a life-time to spent together and that was more than he could ever want.

"You'll marry me?" He breathed against her lips, amber eyes never leaving hers as a smile spread on his lips.

Zhalia's eyes softened at the question. She didn't think that he would have actually considered her rejecting him to be an option but apparently he did.

"Of course I will."

As soon as the four words have passed her lips did she feel him close the distance between them and it was then that the two top Seekers of the Foundation sealed their promise.

 _And healing._

It has been two years ever since the third war.

During these two years a lot of things have happened to the Huntik team.

Within the first months they all have helped to bring the Foundation back to its former glory by helping to rebuild the HQ's all around the world. It took some time to heal all the wounds that they received, both mental and physical.

The teens were visiting the School that the Foundation had successfully opened by now and after the first year the team had also started to go on missions again.

The team however had made one special mission their priority, which was finding Eathon. They were closer than before to finding him and Lok was sure that it would only be a matter of time until they would finally find him.

Zhalia and Dante married three months ago, having taken their time for they wanted things to be back to normal first.

DeFoe and many other Spirals had been caught six months ago when they plotted an attack on the Foundation HQ in Germany but fortunately, they managed to prevent the attack from happening just in time.

Den and Sara ended up as a couple and have been going strong for six months now while Lok had finally gotten the courage to propose to Sophie after a total of four years of dating.

They decided to get married after they found Eathon and for now, were content with simply being engaged.

Of course, Lok had to ask for Lucas permission first and that turned out to be a task that was harder than he had expected. It took quite some time to convince Lucas to give them their blessings and even if reluctant, the Casterwill boy eventually yielded and decided to not stand in his sister's way of happiness for any longer.

Cherit had also decided to return to the team a year ago, having completely missed what happened and to say that the joy was huge upon seeing their little friend again would have been an understatement.

The Huntik team was once again back to its former glory and went back to living their normal life that didn't include a war, and they wouldn't want it any other way.

 _The End_


End file.
